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THEODORE  ANDREA  COOK 


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JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


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Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  AtedidnB 
Cummings  Sc>       -  jnsry  Medidneal 

200  Westboro  Road 
*  %  North  Grafton,  MA  0iS35 


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ECLIPSE  ^O'KELLY 

BEING  A  COMPLETE  HISTORY  SO  FAR  AS  IS 
KNOWN  OF  THAT  CELEBRATED  ENGLISH 
THOROUGHBRED  ECLIPSE  (1764-1789)  OF  HIS 
BREEDER  THE  DUKE  OF  CUMBERLAND  &  OF 
HIS  SUBSEQUENT  OWNERS  WILLIAM  WILDMAN 
DENNIS  O'KELLY  &  ANDREW  O'KELLY  NOW 
FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  SET  FORTH  FROM  THE 
ORIGINAL  AUTHORITIES  &  FAMILY  MEMORANDA 

By  THEODORE  ANDREA  COOK  m.a.  f.s.a. 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  HISTORY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  TURF"  ETC.  ETC 

WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS  PEDIGREES  AND 
REPRODUCTIONS   OF   CONTEMPORARY  DOCUMENTS 


NEW  YORK  :  E.  P.  DUTTON  &  COMPANY 

MCMVII 


la 


Copyright 

AH  rights  reserved 


TO 

GENERAL 

HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS 

PRINCE  CHRISTIAN  OF  SCHLESWIG  HOLSTEIN, 

K.G..  G.C.V.O.,  P.C, 
AIDE-DE-CAMP  TO  THE  KING 

AND 

RANGER  OF  WINDSOR  GREAT  PARK, 

AS  THE  RESPECTFUL  TRIBUTE  OF  A  SINCERE  GRATITUDE 

TO  ONE  WHO  LIVES  WHERE  LIVED  THE  BREEDER 

OF  SPILETTAS  FOAL,  AND  GUARDS  THE 

PASTURES  WHERE  THE  SON 

OF  MARSKE  WAS  BORN 

THIS  HISTORY  OF  ECLIPSE 

IS  DEDICATED 

BY 

THE  WRITER 


PREFACE 


^is  mihi  tribuat  ut  scribantur  sermones  met  ?     ^tis  mihi  det  ut 
exarentur  in  Ubro  ? 


M 


Y  readers  may  be  glad  to  learn  that  the  circum- 
stances of  the  race  in  which  Hiero,  King  of  Syra- 
cuse, won  the  Olympic  crown  with  his  good  horse, 
Phrenicits,  are  not  sufficiently  well  known  to  enable 
me  to  enlarge  on  the  antiquity  and  development  of  horse- 
racing.  But  the  description  of  the  owner  is  worth  recalling. 
"  August  he  was  in  his  converse  with  citizens,  and  he  upheld 
the  breed  of  horses  after  the  Hellenic  wont."  No  other  poet 
save  an  Englishman  could  have  so  written  ;  and  of  no  other 
king  save  of  an  English  king,  could  Pindar's  ode  hold  true. 
England  has  yet  another  parallel  with  ancient  Greece.  It 
was  a  matter  of  vital  importance  to  Alcibiades,  over  two 
thousand  years  ago,  to  win  that  Olympic  crown  himself. 
He  entered  seven,  and  almost  equalled  the  record  of 
M.  Edmond  Blanc  by  owning  the  winner  and  the  second. 
An  English  Prime  Minister  has  done  even  better ;  for 
Lord  Rosebery  has  won  the  Derby  thrice,  and  the  origin 
of  that  historic  race  has  never  been  more  tersely  described 
than  in  Lord  Rosebery's  words  : 

"  In  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  a 
roystering  party  at  a  country  house  founded  two  races,  and 
named  them  gratefully  after  their  host  and  his  house — the 
*  Derby '  and  the  '  Oaks.'  Seldom  has  a  carouse  had  a 
more  permanent  effect." 

It  is  chiefly  with  this  eighteenth-century  beginning  of 
England's  classic  races  that  these  pages  will  deal ;  for  it 
was  Dennis  O'Kelly's  son  of  Eclipse  who  won  the  second 
Derby,  and  out  of  the  127  races,  including  the  first, 
Eclipses  descendants  have   furnished  eighty-two  winners 

vii 


PREFACE 

up  to  1906.  No  complete  study  of  this  remarkable  horse's 
career  has  ever  been  published,  and  since  the  valuable  essay 
of  Vial  de  Saint  Bel  in  1791,  no  monograph  has  been 
devoted  to  his  history.  He  was  sold  as  a  yearling  for  less 
than  a  hundred  guineas.  Of  his  direct  descendants,  a 
yearling  filly  has  lately  been  sold  at  10,000  guineas  ;  a 
racehorse  in  training  has  fetched  ;^39,375  at  public  auction  ; 
two  sires  have  each  produced  stock  winning  over  half  a 
million  sterling ;  and  other  horses  tracing  to  him  in  direct 
male  line  have  won  the  "  Triple  Crown  "  nine  times  out  of 
ten,  and  hold  the  record  for  the  pace  at  which  the  Two 
Thousand,  the  Derby,  and  the  Leger  have  been  won. 
These  are  hard  facts,  and  they  explain  why  it  is  worth 
while  to  pay  so  much  attention  to  a  single  animal ;  for 
there  is  probably  no  other  in  the  history  of  the  world  which 
has  been  the  prime  cause  of  so  much  money  changing 
hands. 

But  let  us  not  be  sordid.  If  our  legislators  go  on  as 
they  have  begun,  there  will  probably  be  no  Derby  or 
St.  Leger  for  our  descendants  to  admire,  and  no  more 
lists  of  winning  stallions  for  our  breeders  to  contemplate 
with  envious  eyes.  Newmarket,  Ascot,  and  Epsom  will 
be  abolished,  with  the  Stock  Exchange,  as  the  haunts  of 
the  immoral  gambler,  and  betting  will  be  adding  fresh 
offences  to  the  calendar  in  directions  hitherto  unknown. 
While  I  hasten,  therefore,  to  use  the  statistics  that  exist 
before  they  pass  into  oblivion  or  are  added  to  the 
growing  stock  of  information  that  is  subject  to  criminal 
proceedings,  I  cannot  refrain  from  emphasising  that  there 
are  wider  themes  in  such  an  essay  as  I  have  attempted 
than  merely  the  money  made  by  other  people  out  of  racing. 
Eclipses  breeder,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  and  the  two 
O'Kellys,  uncle  and  nephew,  who  owned  him,  are  all  three 
most  interesting  people,  and  each  in  an  entirely  different 
way.  The  mention  of  their  names  leads  me  to  an  apology 
which  should  have  been  made  with  my  first  line. 

This  book  was  written  and  ready  for  the  printer  some 
eight  months  before  it  was  offered  to  an  indulgent  public. 

viii 


PREFACE 

To  my  readers  and  my  publisher  alike  I  owe  an  explanation 
of  this  apparently  inexcusable  delay,  and  I  confidently 
believe  that  both  will  pardon  me.  I  had  just  completed  a 
study  based  on  what  seemed  to  be  all  the  available 
evidence,  when  from  Major  Philip  Langdale  in  Yorkshire, 
and  from  Sir  Thomas  Grattan  Esmonde  in  Ireland,  I 
received  a  large  number  of  the  papers  and  memoranda  con- 
nected with  the  career  of  Dennis  and  Andrew  O' Kelly  on 
the  Turf.  They  revealed  Andrew  to  me  for  the  first  time  ; 
and  I  think  they  will  materially  change  the  verdict  hitherto 
passed  on  Dennis.  Apart  from  that,  they  present  details 
of  racing  and  social  life  from  1770  to  1820  which  I  have 
never  seen  elsewhere  ;  and  by  the  kindness  of  their  owners 
I  have  reproduced  several  of  the  more  important  manu- 
scripts in  facsimile.  To  take  one  example  of  their  value  : 
this  is  the  first  book  that  will  reproduce  both  the  portraits 
and  the  handwriting  of  Dennis  O'Kelly  and  his  heir. 
Apart  from  the  Stud-book  of  Cuthbert  Routh  of  Yorkshire, 
(1718-1752),  discovered  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Fletcher,  I  know  no 
older  memoranda  of  a  racing  stud  which  have  been 
published. 

It  will  be  as  well  to  say,  here  and  at  once,  what  has  to 
be  said  about  the  rest  of  the  illustrations.  The  dedication  of 
this  essay  to  H.R.H.  Prince  Christian  is  no  mere  formal 
recognition  of  the  interest  so  appropriately  taken  in  its 
subject  by  the  tenant  of  the  house  where  Eclipse  s  breeder 
lived,  and  by  the  guardian  of  the  historic  paddocks  where 
Eclipse  was  born.  It  is  my  only  way  of  expressing  my 
sincere  thanks  for  valuable  help  given  by  His  Royal 
Highness  in  many  essential  details  of  this  work,  and  for  the 
use  of  several  pictures  now  in  Cumberland  Lodge  which 
are  reproduced  in  these  pages.  To  Sir  Walter  Gilbey,  for 
whose  portrait  I  am  indebted  to  the  skill  and  kindness  of 
Mr.  William  Nicholson,  I  owe  the  possibility  of  printing 
here  the  two  finest  portraits  of  Eclipse  ever  painted  by 
Stubbs.  Mr.  Hargreaves,  of  Pendleton,  sent  me  the 
painting  of  Spiletta,   and  from  Mr.   Parsons,    of  Alsager 

in  Cheshire,   I  received  the  portrait  of  Waxy.     I  believe 

ix  h 


PREFACE 

neither  of  these  latter  have  been  seen  before.  To  Lady 
Dorchester  I  owe  a  fine  portrait  of  the  horse  by  Sartorius. 
Mr.  J.  Jeffery  sent  me  the  map  of  Epsom  showing  Clay 
Hill,  O'Kelly's  racing  stables.  Mr.  Max  Beerbohm  very 
kindly  gave  me  his  delightful  drawing  of  the  Prince  Regent 
and  Beau  Brummell.  Mr.  Julius  Sampson  was  good  enough 
to  let  me  reproduce  his  paintings  of  Gimcrack  and  Eclipse 
by  Sartorius.  I  have  to  thank  the  Stewards  of  the  Jockey 
Club  for  kindly  allowing  Mr.  Hailey  to  photograph  their 
Eclipse  foot  for  me.  Mr.  Ducros,  the  present  occupant  of 
Cannons,  permitted  me  to  photograph  O'Kelly's  house. 
Messrs.  Virtue  &  Co.,  the  publishers  of  my  "  History  of  the 
English  Turf,"  have  generously  allowed  me  to  reproduce 
some  pictures  that  originally  appeared  in  that  publication. 
To  Mr.  Ridewood,  of  the  British  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  I  owe  my  hearty  thanks  for  most  kindly  superin- 
tending Mr.  W.  E.  Gray's  admirable  photographs  of 
Eclipses  bones,  and  to  the  Royal  College  of  Veterinary 
Surgeons  in  Red  Lion  Square  I  must  express  my  sincere 
gratitude  for  allowing  their  precious  relics  to  be  photo- 
graphed. 

The  proper  illustration  of  a  monograph  on  Eclipse  is 
a  very  difficult  problem  ;  and,  as  will  have  been  realised,  it 
has  only  been  made  possible  at  all  by  the  kindness  of  many 
sympathetic  correspondents.  Something  of  what  is  in- 
volved may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  Lord  Rosebery 
possesses  the  following  paintings  of  Eclipse  in  his  wonder- 
ful collection  at  The  Durdans  : 

(i)  By  F.  Sartorius  1770,  a  picture  very  like  the  Stubbs 
type,  but  without  the  jockey  and  a  different  back- 
ground. 

(2)  By  Stubbs,  showing  the  horse  cantering  at  exercise  in 

his  clothing,  not  very  successful. 

(3)  The  original  of  the  well-known  engraving  by  Stubbs, 

of  the  horse  standing  saddled  near  a  stable. 

(4)  A  sketch  for  this  original,  showing  only  the  jockey. 

(5)  A    somewhat    impossible    Sartorius,    depicting    the 

animal  "at  full  stretch,"  with  his  jockey. 


PREFACE 

(6)  A  better  Sartorius,  in  repose. 

(7)  Another  by  J.  N.  Sartorius. 

(8)  Eclipse  beating  Corsican  at  Newmarket  on  October  3, 

1770,  by  F.  Sartorius. 

The  permission  to  examine  this  collection  some  years  ago 
has  been  of  the  greatest  value  to  me  now.  The  portrait  (3) 
by  Stubbs  (39  by  49  ins.)  was  painted  in  1770,  and  shows  a 
chestnut  with  a  white  face  and  the  off  hindleg  white  from 
just  below  the  hock  to  the  fetlock  joint.  All  the  hoofs  are 
brown.  The  short  bang  tail  is  chestnut  brown,  and  the 
mane  is  of  the  same  colour,  plaited  with  lead.  Saddled 
with  a  blue  saddle-cloth,  the  animal  faces  to  the  right  and 
is  held  by  a  groom,  close  to  whom  stands  a  jockey  with  a 
whip,  looking  at  the  horse  ready  to  mount,  and  speaking  to 
the  groom.  The  jockey  wears  white  buckskin  breeches, 
white  stockings,  black  highlow  boots,  scarlet  jacket  and 
white  cuffs,  a  white  neckcloth,  and  a  soft  black  cap  with 
a  soft  brim  all  round.  The  groom  has  a  long  blue  coat 
with  red  collar  and  cuffs,  white  breeches,  black  stockings, 
buckle  shoes,  and  a  soft  black  felt  hat.  The  background  is 
a  flat  landscape  with  low  trees  in  the  distance,  grassy  fore- 
ground, a  blue  sky  with  big  clouds,  and  the  light  from  the 
left.  The  figures  are  near  a  square  building  of  grey  stone, 
like  a  stable  with  a  high-pitched  roof.  I  have  described 
this  at  length  because  it  is  probably  the  original  done  for 
Dennis  O'Kelly  from  which  the  prints  most  commonly 
known  were  made. 

The  most  valuable  portrait  of  Eclipse,  in  existence  is  in 
the  possession  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey,  at  Elsenham  Hall.  It 
is  the  careful  measured  study  done  from  life  by  Stubbs,  and 
probably  the  only  one  so  painted.  It  faces  to  the  right 
with  the  light  from  the  left,  and  forms  the  type  from  which 
all  the  best  portraits  of  Eclipse  by  Stubbs  and  other  artists 
were  taken.  I  have  reproduced  it  in  my  seventh  chapter, 
and  in  my  fifth  is  Sir  Walter's  other  Stubbs,  showing  Mr. 
Wildman  and  his  sons  with  the  horse.  The  first  was  bought 
from  the  collection  of  Mr.  Munro  of  Novar,  and  the  second 
was  sold  at  Christie's  by  a  descendant  of  Mr.  Wildman. 

xi 


PREFACE 

George  Stubbs,  R.A.,  was  born  in  1724  and  died  in 
1806,  being  almost  exactly  a  contemporary  of  Reynolds  and 
Gainsborough.  His  father  was  a  leather-dresser ;  but  the 
boy  soon  began  to  study  painting  at  Wigan,  Leeds,  and 
York  ;  and  afterwards  worked  at  anatomy  and  engraving. 
In  1754  he  visited  Rome,  but  returned  to  England  and 
began  "  The  Anatomy  of  the  Horse,"  a  work  of  marvellous 
industry  and  skill,  in  Lincolnshire.  This  was  published  in 
1766,  when  Stubbs  was  living  at  24,  Somerset  Street,  Port- 
man  Square.  He  did  several  hunting  pictures  for  the  Duke 
of  Richmond  at  Goodwood,  and  for  Lord  Grosvenor  at 
Eaton.  In  1771  he  tried  enamel  painting  at  Cosway's 
suggestion,  and  in  1780  he  was  elected  an  Associate  of  the 
Royal  Academy,  but  the  catalogues  do  not  print  the  full 
R.A.  till  1805.  After  1790  he  did  sixteen  portraits  of  cele- 
brated racers  for  the  Turf  Gallery  in  Conduit  Street,  from 
the  Godolphin  Arabian  onwards  ;  and  we  know  that  before 
1787  Dennis  O'Kelly  had  commissioned  him  to  paint 
Marske,  Eclipse,  and  others  of  his  stud  for  Cannons. 
When  he  was  79  he  was  able  to  walk  the  sixteen  miles 
from  Somerset  Street  to  Lord  Clarendon's  house  in  Hert- 
fordshire, and  he  died  quite  suddenly,  alone  in  his  arm- 
chair, on  July  10,  1806.  He  was  evidently  a  little 
embittered  by  the  neglect  of  the  public  in  his  last  years, 
and  justifiably  so,  for  he  was  the  best  animal  painter  of  his 
day,  and  his  skill  was  only  equalled  by  his  industry. 

Mr.  Frink,  of  Thurlow,  has  kindly  informed  me  of  a 
fine  engraving,  by  Hunt,  of  Eclipse,  in  his  possession  from 
the  painting  by  F.  Sartorius  in  1770.  The  horse  is  stand- 
ing without  a  saddle,  and  a  groom  stands  by  holding  his 
reins.  Another  groom  appears  to  be  brushing  him  down 
ready  for  a  race.     The  horse  faces  to  the  left. 

Captain  Price,  of  Paignton,  possesses  a  coloured  engrav- 
ing by  Hunt  (published  in  1839)  from  a  painting  by  Stubbs. 
He  has  been  kind  enough  to  describe  it  for  me.  The 
chestnut  is  standing,  saddled,  with  head  to  the  right,  and  a 
white  surcingle  over  a  very  dark  green  saddlecloth  bordered 
with  gold.     A  groom  stands  at  his  head  holding  a  rein  in 

xii 


PREFACE 

each  hand  ;  a  snaffle  bridle  and  single  rein,  twisted.  He 
wears  a  red  frock  coat,  light-coloured  knee  breeches,  black 
silk  stockings,  buckle  shoes,  and  a  black  velvet  cap.  The 
coat  is  embroidered  with  gold  rings  round  the  collar  and 
cuffs,  and  the  man  wears  short  white  frills  round  his  wrists. 
The  background  shows  the  angle  of  a  stable. 

M.  Jean  Stern,  the  owner  of  Canard,  has  a  charming 
painting  by  Sartorius  of  Eclipse  galloping  over  the  Beacon 
course,  in  an  attitude  that  may  be  anatomically  impossible, 
but  gives  an  excellent  idea  of  the  horse's  characteristic 
action  and  of  his  bright  chestnut  colour.  Oakley  is  riding 
him  in  O'Kelly's  colours,  red  coat  and  black  cap. 

Mr.  Tattersall's  albums  contain  what  is  probably  the 
best  collection  of  racing  prints  in  the  world,  for  they  are 
nearly  all  proofs  in  first-rate  condition,  and  have  been  well 
cared  for  ever  since  they  were  first  published.  It  has  been 
of  the  greatest  use  to  me  in  selecting  the  best  types  of 
various  pictures,  and  I  am  most  grateful  to  its  owner. 

A  large  number  of  correspondents,  who  had  heard  of  the 
preparation  of  this  work,  have  very  kindly  come  forward 
with  help  and  information  of  very  various  kinds,  and  if  I 
do  not  name  them  all,  I  am  none  the  less  grateful  for  every 
bit  of  such  assistance.  Mrs.  Haig-Brown,  widow  of  the 
late  Master  of  the  Charterhouse,  lent  me  the  lithograph  of 
Cannons  and  sent  her  memories  of  the  grave  of  Eclipse  s 
remains.  Mr.  John  D.  Cradock,  of  Quorn,  wrote  concern- 
ing one  of  the  horse's  hoofs.  Mrs.  E.  J.  Roper  wrote  from 
Jamaica  concerning  another.  When  I  had  almost  despaired 
of  the  fourth,  the  King  most  kindly  informed  me  through 
Lord  Knollys  that  it  was  in  His  Majesty's  possession. 

Lord  Howard  de  Walden  sent  me  ZiiifatideP s  measure- 
ments. Mr.  Arthur  Langridge  gave  me  most  interesting 
information  about  his  great  grandfather,  the  celebrated 
Bracy  Clark.  Mr.  R.  O.  Burnett  told  me  all  he  knew  of 
his  ancestor,  Mr.  Wildman.  Mr.  George  Elkington  wrote 
me  details  about  the  Cumberland  Farm  at  Plaistow. 
Mrs.  D'Arcy  Hutton  gave  me  various  facts  about  Marske. 
Details  of  different  pictures  and  engravings  were  sent  in  by 

xiii 


PREFACE 

Mr.    Arkell    of    Fairford,    Mr.    Martin    of    Londonderry, 
Mr.  Wintringham  Stable  of  Wanstead,  and  the  landlord  of 
the    "Eclipse"    at  Epsom.      Books  were    either    lent  or 
described  by  Mr.  Rixon  of  Cookham,  Mr.  Gregg  of  Barnes, 
Mr.  Thomas  Johnson    of   Dudley,  and   Mr.   F.  Styan  of 
Creaton.     Mr.  J.  E.  Vincent  of  Drayton,  Berkshire,  wrote 
concerning    Eclipse's    birthplace,    which     he    believes    (in 
"  Highways  and  Byways  of  Berkshire,"  p.    204)  to  have 
been  at  Kate's  Gore  in  East  Ilsley,  apparently  because  it  is 
recorded  that  here  "  were  large  stables  built  by  William, 
Duke   of  Cumberland,    for   his   running    horses."      This, 
however,  I  have  shown  (in  my  fifth  chapter)  to  be  impro- 
bable, on  the  facts  as  we  know  them.     Nor  is  there  any 
greater  likelihood  that  Shakespeare  was  the  famous  chest- 
nut's   sire.       Mr.    Charles    Newton    Robinson    and    Mr. 
Laurence  Binyon  gave  me  valuable  information  about  some 
of    my    illustrations.      The    Rev.  William    Hunt    kindly 
answered  many  questions  concerning  details  of  Georgian 
history  with    which   I  was    unfamiliar.      Mr.  Arthur  W. 
Coaten,  of  "  Horse  and  Hound,"  has    not  only  compiled 
several  very  interesting  and  novel  tables  for  my  Appendix, 
but  has  taken  the  trouble  to  correct  my  proofs  in  the  matter 
of  those    racing    details    of   which  he    is  a  master.      To 
Professor  E.   Ray  Lankester,  of  the  British  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  and  to  Mr.  Lydekker  I  am  greatly  indebted 
for  most  valuable  assistance  and  advice ;  the  facts  about 
thoroughbred  skulls,  and  the  development  of  the  race,  given 
me  by  Mr.  Lydekker,  being  of  special  interest  to  every  one 
who  cares  for  breeding. 

The  Museum  in  the  Cromwell  Road  has  now  an  exhibit 
of  horses  which  deserves  the  careful  attention  of  every 
racing  man.  Here  you  may  inspect  the  bronze  statuette  of 
Zinfaitdel  beside  the  plaster  model  of  Persimmon,  and  see 
how  like  is  son  to  sire.  Here  are  the  skulls  of  Stockwell, 
Bend  Or,  Donovan,  Royal  Hampton,  and  Ormonde.  Here 
you  may  wonder  at  the  clumsy  skeleton  of  the  extinct 
Hippidium  neogaeum,  12^  hands  high,  with  a  23-inch  skull, 
and  compare  it  with  the  English  cross-bred,  close  beside,  of 

xiv 


PREFACE 

14^  hands  and  a  23-inch  head.  Here  are  the  four-toed 
Protorohippus,  and  the  three-toed  Mesohippus,  and 
Hipparion  gracilis  (from  the  Pliocene  tertiary  strata  of 
Attica)  with  the  cavity  for  the  face-gland  on  which  Mr. 
Lydekker  has  based  such  interesting  arguments  on  the 
derivation  of  our  thoroughbreds.  Here  too  are  exquisitely 
modelled  and  accurately  reduced  statuettes  of  various  breeds 
of  horses,  together  with  diagrams  and  exhibits  of  equine 
teeth  and  bones  so  plainly  labelled  that  even  a  visitor  with 
such  scanty  skill  of  science  as  myself  may  understand 
them.  This  is  an  admirable,  nay,  an  unequalled  beginning. 
It  compels  me  to  ask  for  more. 

When  will  the  young  biologist  arise,  with  time  enough 
to  spare,  and  sympathy  enough  with  the  large  majority  of 
his  fellow-countrymen  who  may  be  reasonably  intelligent 
and  yet  know  no  biology,  to  put  his  science  at  the  service 
of  his  country,  and  take  a  few  measurements  of  bones 
and  living  animals  on  a  method  every  one  can  accept 
and  understand.  No  such  opportunity  as  the  thoroughbred 
horse  exists  in  the  kingdom  of  nature  except  in  the  case  of 
the  Brocklesby  Kennel  ;  but  the  racehorse  affords  better 
data  than  the  foxhound,  for  his  breeding  has  been  kept 
before  1746,  the  date  of  the  earliest  Brocklesby  list;  and 
more  details  are  known  about  the  performances  and  con- 
formation of  his  ancestors  than  is  the  case  with  any  other 
living  creature,  man  included.  Yet  the  simplest  facts  about 
horses  remain  to  be  explained.  Was  Admiral  Rous  right, 
for  instance,  in  saying  that  thoroughbreds  averaged  13 
hands  3  inches  in  1700,  and  have  increased  an  inch  every 
twenty-five  years  for  a  century  and  a  half?  If  so,  when 
will  they  stop  ?  Is  A nibergris  (by  Hermit  out  of  Frangi- 
pani)  the  limit,  at  18  hands,  or  are  we  to  get  bigger  giants 
still?  Does  height  have  any  effect  on  pace?  Prince 
Charlie  (17  hands)  was  the  best  miler  ever  seen;  was  he 
too  big  for  longer  distances  ?  Are  big  horses  more  likely 
to  "  roar  "  than  little  ones  ?  Would  Abd el  Kader{\s  hands) 
who  won  in  1850,  have  any  chance  in  the  next  Grand 
National  ?     Before  the  Lords'  Committee  in  1873  the  Earl 

XV 


PREFACE 

of  Stradbroke  said  there  were  "not  four  horses  in  England 
now  that  could  run  over  the  Beacon  course  (4  m.  i  fur. 
138  yds.)  within  eight  minutes,  which  in  my  younger  days 
I  used  to  see  continually  done."  Granted  that  the  Earl 
was  correct  in  his  times  (which  I  doubt),  has  the  increasing 
height  of  racehorses  affected  their  endurance  ?  It  would 
seem  not,  for  the  4  miles  856  yards  was  run  by  Ascetic  s 
Silver  in  9.34I,  with  thirty  fences,  in  the  Grand  National 
of  1906.  Has  it  then  affected  their  speed  ?  If  so,  how  is  it 
that  Pretty  Polly  holds  the  record  for  the  Derby  course 
with  2.33*  for  the  Coronation  Cup  of  1905?  Think  what 
a  field  that  young  biologist  has  got ! 

Then  as  to  colour,  why  has  the  Derby  been  only  once 
won  by  a  black  :  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  Smolensko,  who 
was  one  of  nine  black  sons  of  JVowski  ?  Would  it  be  true 
to  say  that:  (i)  greys  and  blacks  have  good  stamina;  (2) 
chestnuts  have  speed  and  excitability  ;  (3)  bays  and  browns 
being  considered  intermediate,  bays  have  more  characteris- 
tics of  the  chestnut,  and  browns  of  the  blacks  and  greys  ? 
Have  blacks  and  greys  decreased  because  we  have  given 
up  four-mile  racing,  and  chestnuts  increased  because  we 
prefer  short  distances  ?  Has  the  original  black  of  the  Shire 
Horse  faded  out  because  he  is  no  longer  used  for  the  battle- 
field and  the  armoured  knight,  where  endurance  was  his 
value,  and  because  he  needs  more  energy  and  action  in  his 
new  pursuits  ?  Are  hackneys  nearly  all  chestnuts  because 
the  qualities  kindred  to  excitability  and  speed  are  wanted 
by  the  hackney-breeder  ?  It  would  be  possible  to  go  on 
asking  a  great  many  more  questions  ;  but  the  need  of  the 
young  gentleman  I  suggested  is  clear  enough.  Let  him 
remember  Stubbs  and  Vial  de  Saint  Bel,  and  go  ahead. 
His  chances  are  much  greater  and  his  knowledge  incom- 
parably keener  than  were  theirs.  Let  him  begin  by  trying 
to  do  for  us  about  half  what  either  of  them  did  for  their 
own  generation,  and  his  future  is  assured. 

The  value  of  the  horse  to  any  nation  is  a  subject  so 
threadbare  nowadays  that  we  have  ourselves  long  ago  for- 
gotten all  about  it.     Having  produced  the  best  horse  in  the 

xvi 


PREFACE 

world,  we  do  a  very  great  deal  less  than  any  other  nation  in 
encouraging  our  countrymen  to  breed  him.  The  disastrous 
shortage  of  horses  in  the  South  African  Campaign  was 
driven  home  so  hard  in  1900  that  we  have  now  apparently 
decided  that  all  wars  in  which  we  engage  in  the  future 
must  be  horseless  wars.  That  is  just  as  well,  considering 
the  attacks  that  have  lately  been  made  upon  the  fountain 
of  all  good  stock  in  this  country :  I  mean,  of  course,  the 
Turf.  The  Government  recognises  the  value  of  the  Turf 
in  this  respect  by  asking  for  the  racing  records  of  animals 
entered  for  the  King's  Premiums  ;  and  then  proceeds  to 
distribute  the  munificent  sum  of  ;^i5o  each  to  only  twenty- 
eight  stallions  who  are  selected  at  the  Islington  Show  to  breed 
good  stock  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Wales.  No  special 
department  of  officials  bothers  about  the  matter  at  all,  after 
the  Royal  Commission  have  done  what  they  can  with  their 
;^4200.  Nobody  hindered  the  exportation  of  our  best  brood 
mares  to  the  world  at  large  at  the  moment  we  were  mounting 
our  cavalry  on  Argentines  and  buying  our  carriage-horses 
from  America  and  France.  Private  initiative  has,  indeed, 
founded  a  Brood  Mare  Society  ;  but  no  farmer  can  afford  to 
breed  remounts  at  the  prices  suggested  by  the  authorities. 
Finally,  it  seems  that  the  Turf  itself,  the  last  stronghold  of 
good  blood  bred  and  tested  regardless  of  expense,  is  to  be 
destroyed  without  any  commensurate  benefits  being  pro- 
mised for  the  evils  done.  France  gets  a  good  deal  more 
than  half  a  million  sterling  out  of  French  racing  for  the 
encouragement  of  French  horse-breeding.  Even  little  New 
Zealand  has  _;^8o,ooo  to  apply  to  the  same  admirable  ends. 
It  is  a  curious  position,  and  no  one  who  has  just  completed 
an  essay  concerned  with  English  thoroughbreds  can  avoid 
considering  it.  But  it  is  characteristic  of  our  usual  methods, 
and  this  is  no  place  to  offer  any  remedies.  I  would  only  sug- 
gest that  the  authorities  seem  wantonly  to  be  throwing  away 
the  possibilities  of  an  enthusiasm  and  an  affection  for  horse- 
flesh which  no  other  country  has  had  in  equal  measure  with 
our  own  since  ancient  Hellas. 

The  letters  that  have  reached  me  from  all  over  the  Eng- 

xvii 


PREFACE 

lish-speaking  world  are  a  proof  that  this  spirit  is  as  strong 
as  ever.     No  petrol-motor  and  no  flying-machine  can  ever 
kill  it.     From  Canada  an  unknown  friend  writes  as  vividly 
as  if  he  had  seen  Eclipse  himself.     "  There  was  a  noticeable 
kink  in  his  tail,"  he  says,  "as  some  evidence  of  the  base 
blood  that  ran  in  a  dozen  lines  of  his  pedigree.     He  had 
such  pace  that  he  could  run  his  opponents  off  their  legs  and 
go  on  alone.     But  he  was  a  bit  flash,  depend  on  that.  .  .  . 
I  am   an  old  man,   and  this  is  a  subject  to  which  I  once 
gave  unlimited  attention.     Saint  Bel's  print  of  him  going 
from   you  is  just  like  any  Orlando  two-year-old  going  to 
the  post  in  the  fifties.     I  let  Lord  Rosebery  have  my  print 
of  PotSos,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  one  since.     He 
was  his  best  son,  I  used  to  hear  from  people  who  knew, 
quite  independent  of  his  being  sire  of  Waxy.     That  little 
Racing  Calendar,  when  Eclipse  was  running  with  i2st.  up 
as  a  five-year-old  for  King's  Plates,  you  no  doubt  have.     It 
looked  like  a  number   of  the  '  British    Essayists,'    brown 
calf  with  a  red  label ;  and  the  cockfights  were  interspersed 
with    the    races.      O  Lord  !  I  should  like  to  have  a  talk 
with  you." 

I  only  hope  so  keen  a  sportsman  will  do  me  the  kindness 
of  writing  again. 

From  Mr.  W.  Osborn  Boyes  of  Barnet,  Herts,  I  have 
received  much  interesting  information,  and  an  authenticated 
portion  of  Eclipse  s  skin. 

A  word  as  to  the  arrangement  of  this  book,  and  I  have 
done  with  these  preliminaries. 

The  first  two  chapters  deal  with  the  origin  of  the  Eng- 
lish thoroughbred  and  the  pure  Arabian.  I  then  pass  to 
Eclipses  breeder,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  and  his  racing 
friends  ;  which  leads  me  to  the  description  of  Eclipses  two 
seasons  on  the  Turf.  I  have  taken  the  two  O'Kellys,  uncle 
and  nephew,  separately  ;  and  as  Eclipse  died  just  after 
Dennis  O'Kelly,  the  sketch  of  Saint  Bel's  analysis  of  the 
horse's  measurements  comes  in  between  the  pair.  The  book 
closes  with  a  brief  note  on  the  effect  of  Eclipse  blood  in 
modern  racing  stock. 

xviii 


PREFACE 

The  Appendix  I  can  particularly  recommend,  having 
written  so  little  of  it  myself.  It  is  not,  in  this  case,  either 
the  refuge  for  dry  details  that  might  have  terrified  a  hasty 
reader  of  the  text,  or  a  mere  rehearsal  of  the  original  sources 
from  which  earlier  conclusions  have  been  drawn.  At  the 
end  of  it  I  have  placed  a  few  considerations  on  the  theory 
of  breeding  known  as  the  "  Figure-System."  The  earlier 
sections  contain  a  good  deal  of  information  about  both  the 
O'Kelly  family  and  their  famous  horse  which  has  never 
appeared  before,  and  may  be  welcomed  by  any  one  who  cares 
for  eighteenth-century  racing.  O'Kelly's  description  of  the 
burial  of  Nelson,  and  the  fragment  of  diary  in  which  that 
occurs,  have  a  distinct  value  that  needs  no  further 
emphasis. 

T.  A.  C. 


XIX 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  ARABIAN  ORIGINS i 

Value  of  Eclipse  and  his  Descendants  to  the  English  Turf — Meaning  of 
the  Phrase  "  English  Thoroughbred  " — Special  Peculiarities  of  the  English 
Breed — Authorities  on  the  Biology  and  History  of  the  Horse — Earliest 
Records  of  Riding — The  first  Jockey — Hellenic  Horses — Importations  of 
Southern  and  Eastern  Horses  to  Europe  and  England — The  Markham 
Arabian — The  Ancestry  of  the  Shire  Horse — The  Darley  Arabian  and 
the  Royal  Mares — The  Keheilan  Breed  of  Najd — Difference  between 
Barbs  or  Turks  and  Arabs — Primeval  Race  of  Najd — Important  geo- 
graphical Position  of  Arabia — The  Horse  in  War. 

II.  ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED i6 

Questions  of  Colour — Points  of  the  True  Arab — The  Face-gland  in 
Skulls  of  Arabs,  Thoroughbreds,  and  Shires — Mr.  Wilfrid  Blunt's  Arabs 
— The  Problem  of  Breeding — Why  England  Succeeded  where  other 
Nations  Failed — Famous  Mares — Arguments  from  Eclipse's  Pedigree — 
Pure  and  Impure  Strains  of  Blood — Predominance  of  Eclipse  Blood — 
Breeding  of  our  Derby  Winners — Spearmint — Steeplechasing — Effects 
of  Climate — Effects  of  Re-importing  Exported  Stock — The  Year  of  the 
Great  Eclipse. 

III.  THE  DUKE  OF  CUMBERLAND 31 

English  Life  from  1745  to  1765 — Its  Strength  and  Colour  in  Literature, 
Politics  and  Art — "The  Duke" — Marshal  Saxe — Fontenoy — "Damn 
my  Commission  !  " — The  English  Infantry — Culloden — Ranger  of  Wind- 
sor Park — Too  Much  Politics — Gambling  and  Racing — The  Jockey 
Club — Gentlemen  Riders — Exclusive  Membership — Mr.  D'Arcy  Hutton 
and  Yorkshire  Racing. 

IV.  THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES  ...       48 

A  Royal  Racing  Stable — Newmarket  in  1757 — The  Duke's  Racing  up 
to  the  Week  of  his  Death — Racing  Colours  in  1762 — The  Younger 
Duke  a  different  Man — Resignation  of  Military  Duties — George  II. 's 
Funeral — Schomberg  House — The  Duke's  Death — His  Papers  De- 
stroyed— Lord  Rockingham — The  Duke  of  Queensberry — Charles  James 

xxi 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

IV.  THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES— (conlmued) 

Fox — Results  of  a  Wager — Defeat  of  the  Government — "  Equant 
Memento  .  .  .  " — Lady  Sarah  Lennox — Gtmcrack — Lord  Grosvenor — 
Lady  Susan  O'Brien — The  Reverse  Side  of  the  Picture. 

V.  "ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE"        ...       65 

Authentic  ReUcs  and  True  Stories — The  Birthplace  of  Eclipse — The 
Cumberland  Papers — Cranbourne  Tower  Paddocks — Cumberland  Farm 
— Eclipse's  Sire — Mr.  Tattersall's  Idea — Marske's  Performances — Spiktta 
— "  Colonel  O'Kelly's  Groom  " — Hautboy  Blood — Sale  of  Eclipse — Mr. 
Wildman — His  Racing  Stable — Education  of  Eclipse — The  First  Trial — 
O'Keily  at  Epsom — The  First  Victory — Placing  the  Horses — His 
Jockeys — Marske's  Reward — Descriptions  of  Eclipse  in  Training — Fifteen 
Hands  Two — Eye-witnesses  Describe  Eclipse — Winning  Races  in  1769 
and  1770 — Purchase  by  Dennis  O'Keily — Ten  to  One  on — York  Races 
— Goldfinder — Lincoln  Heath — Colours  in  1771 — Long-distance  Racing 
— ^25,000  at  the  Stud — A  Mile  a  Minute — Conclusive  Evidence. 

VI.   DENNIS  O'KELLY 

Part  I.     EARLY  DAYS 89 

Family  Papers — Miniature  by  Lochee — Characteristic  Features — The 
O'Kellys  of  Tullow — The  Grattans,  Harveys,  and  Esmondes — Early 
Days — Barry  Lyndon  and  Tregonwell  Frampton — The  Sedan  Chair — 
Dr.  Johnson — Irishmen  on  the  Turf — Buck  Whaley — The  Prince's 
Stakes — Early  Days  in  Town— The  Fleet  Prison — The  "Count" — 
Charlotte  Hayes — Blacklegs  on  the  Turf — Gambling  Hells — Betting — 
Sixteen  New  Offences — Chances  of  Breeding — Dennis  in  1766 — Pur- 
chases in  1769 — Clay  Hill — The  Racing  Stud — "Cross  and  Jostle" — 
Retaining  a  Jockey — "  The  Blacklegged  Fraternity  " — Hospitable  Gather- 
ings— Good  Points  in  the  Character  of  Dennis— The  Militia  Title — Did 
he  Fight  in  America? — The  Two  "Colonel  O'Kellys." 

VI.  DENNIS  O'Y^EIAN— (continued) 

Part  .II.     A  GOOD  FINISH 112 

The  Tartar  Mare — The  O'Keily  Stud — Two  Derby  Winners — Eclipse's 
Sons — Weatherby's  Bill — Lord  Abingdon's  Bill — Tattersall's  Sale — 
Famous  Sales  after  it — Charlotte  in  the  Marshalsea — Her  Annuity — Her 
Remarkable  Parrot — The  Royal  Family  in  Church — The  Parrot's  Death 
— The  Drive  to  Edgeware — The  Estate  of  Cannons — The  Duke  of 
Chandos — Whitchurch  or  Stanmore  Parva — Handel's  Anthems — 
Cannons  Park — Particulars  of  the  Sale — Dennis  O'Kelly's  Will — His 
Character. 

VII.  DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 131 

Saint  Bel's  Dissection  of  the  Horse's  Body — "  Cakes  and  Ale " — A 
Funeral  Ode— The  Eclipse  Hoof— The  other  Three  Hoofs — The  Whip — 

xxii 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

VII.   DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE— {continued) 

Eclipse's  Skin — His  Skeleton  in  Red  Lion  Square — Bracy  Clark — Sale  of 
the  Bones  to  Professor  Gamgee — Gift  to  the  Museum — Charles  Vial  de 
Saint  Bel — The  First  Veterinary  College — Saint  Bel's  Examination  of 
Eclipse's  Bones — The  Difficulties  of  Exact  Measurement — Proportions  of 
Eclipse — Various  Details  of  his  Framework  and  Anatomy — Extent  of  his 
Stride — Sir  John  Hills  on  the  Points  of  a  Racehorse — Heights  of  Race- 
horses— Comparison  of  Ormonde,  St.  Simon,  and  Eclipse — -Comparison 
of  Zinfandel  and  Sampson — Horses  steadily  Growing  Taller — Value 
of  a  Long  Femur  and  Humerus — Persimmon  a  Direct  Descendant  of 
Eclipse. 


VIII.  ANDREW  O'KELLY,  THE  HEIR 

Part  I.     AT  THE  RACES 159 

Mares  sent  to  Dungannon  from  1788  to  1798 — Colours  on  the  Turf 
from  1764  to  1820 — The  Prince  of  Wales's  Bill — The  Prince's  Stud — 
Lord  Belfast,  afterwards  Lord  Donegall — His  Letters — His  Purchases — 
His  Complicated  Financial  Transactions — His  Bills — William  Whaley — 
Loans,  Drafts,  and  Agreements — Dispute  as  to  Sales — O'Kelly's  Stud  in 
1790 — Lord  Egremont — Sir  F.  Standish — Mr.  Concannon — Letters 
from  Brighton  Races — Stable  Accounts — Horses  at  Wycombe — Trifle 
and  Wrangler — Sam  Chifney's  Annuity — The  Escape  Incident — Chifney's 
Letter — Vivaldi  and  Water — Schedona—Ca.^t3.m  Marston — Major  St. 
Paul — General  Lake — O'Kelly's  Horses  in  1805. 


VIII.  ANDREW  O'YiELLY— {continued) 

Part  II.    AT  HOME 191 

Portrait  of  Andrew  by  Alexander  Pope — "The  Prince's  Set" — Duns 
and  Bailiffs — Servants — Demand  for  an  Apology — Andrew's  Account- 
books — Mrs.  O'Kelly's  Furnished  Houses — Letter  from  Mr.  Higgins — 
The  Irish  Regency — The  Militia  Colonelcy — Philip  O'Kelly's  Letter — 
The  Clay  Hill  Property — Stable  Bills— Blacksmith's  Bills— Garrard's 
Painting — Bills  from  Jewellers  and  Bootmakers — Venison  at  Cannons — 
Lord  Ranelagh — Churchwarden  and  Minister — The  Duke  of  Sussex, 
Lord  Donoughmore,  and  Lord  Moira — Mr.  Michell's  Letters  to  Dublin 
— Letter  from  his  Son  Charles — Andrew's  Will — Philip  Whitfield 
Harvey — The  Grattans — Celbridge — Nelson's  Burial. 


IX.   ECLIPSE'S  DESCENDANTS 220 

PotSos — Spearmint —  Troutbeck —  Touchstone — Flying  Fox — King  Fergus 
— Blacklock — Donovan — Emma — Lily  Agnes — Matchem — Record  Times 
— Record  Performances — Conclusion. 

xxiii 


CONTENTS 


APPENDICES 

A.     The  Adventure  of  the  Sedan  Chair 

York  Races,  Dick  England,  and  Dungannon 

The  Militia  Regiment  .... 

"  L' Affaire  Rochfort "  .... 

Cannons  Estate  ..... 

Sam  Chifney       ...... 

Lord  Donegall's  Encumbrances    . 
H.     The  Twopenny  Post  ..... 
J.      O'Kelly's  Diary  and  the  Buiial  of  Nelson 

A  Newgate  Confession         .... 

The  O'Kelly  Pedigree  .... 

Eclipse  s  Pedigree        ..... 

Eclipse's  Produce         .'.... 

Pedigrees  of  Blacklock,  Emma,  Lily  Agnes,  Bend  Or,  and 

Derby  Winners  and  their  Blood    . 

Derby  and  Oaks  Runners  in  1906 

Eclipse's  Advertisement        .... 

The  Figure  System      ..... 


B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
F. 
G. 


K. 
L. 

M. 
N. 
O. 
P. 

Q. 
R. 

S. 


•  233 

•  235 

•  239 

242 

.  244 

•  251 

•  255 

262 

.  264 

•  273 

.  274 

•  275 

.  276 

r,  and 

Donovan    .     278 

.  283 

.  287 

.  289 

291 

INDICES 

Index  of  Horses 
General  Index 


297 
303 


XXIV 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

Tojace 
page 

Portrait  of  Dennis  O'Kelly Frontispiece 

Enlarged  from  the  cameo  by  Lochee 

Sir  Walter  Gilbey 6 

From  the  original  drawing  by  W.  Nicholson 

An  Arabian  imported  for  Lord  Grosvenor  in  the  Eighteenth 

Century 12 

From  an  engraving  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Tattersall  after  the  painting 
by  Stubbs 

Stockwell 18 

From  a  print  in  the  "  Sporting  Magazine,"  Vol.  cxx. 

Skull  of  Stockwell 18 

In  the  British  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Cannon-Bones  of  Shire  Horse 20 

In  the  British  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Bend  Or 28 

From  the  painting  by  E.  Adam    in   the  possession  of  the  Duke  of 
Westminster  at  Eaton 

Skull  of  Bend  Or 28 

In  the  British  Museum  of  Natural  History 

XXV  c 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  7.,^,,, 

page 

The  Duke  of  Cumberland 34 

Breeder  of  Eclipse 

Sword  and  Baton  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland        ...      34 

Preserved  at  Cumberland  Lodge,  in  Windsor  Great  Park 

The  Stables  of  Cumberland  Lodge,  Windsor  Great  Park      .      40 

Matchem 44 

From  a  print  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Somerville  Tattersall 

Herod 46 

From  an  engraving  after  the  painting  by  Gilpin 

Gimcrack 52 

From  the  painting  by  Sartorius  in  the  possession  of  Julian  Sampson, 
Esq. 

The  Young  Duke  of  Cumberland 54 

By  Gainsborough 

Sharke  (by  Marske  out  of  a  Snap  Mare) 56 

From  an  engraving  in  the  possession  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey  after  the 
painting  by  Stubbs 

The  Well-Gap  at  Newmarket 56 

From  an  engraving  in  the  British  Museum 

Lady  Bunbury 60 

By  Reynolds 

Match  between  Gimcrack  and  Bay  Malton  at  York  in  1769  .      62 

Reproduced  from  the  painting  by  Best  in   the  possession  of  H.R.H. 
Prince  Christian  of  Schleswig-Holstein 

Cranbourne  Tower,  in  Windsor  Great  Park      ....      66 
The  paddock  where  Eclipse  was  foaled 

xxvi 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  ^o/ace 

page 

Marske,  Sire  of  Eclipse 70 

From  the  engraving  by  G.  F.  Stubbs  in  the  British  Museum  after  the 
painting  by  G.  Stubbs 

Plate  recording  Eclipse's  Birth 70 

Set  up  in  Windsor    Great    Park  by   H.R.H.   Prince    Christian    of 
Schleswig-Holstein 

Spiletta,  with  Eclipse  at  Foot 72 

From  the  original  painting  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Hargreaves 

Eclipse,  with  Mr.  Wildman,  his  First  Purchaser     ...      74 
From  the  painting  by  G.   Stubbs    in  the  possession  of  Sir  Walter 
Gilbey,  Bart.,  of  Elsenham 

Eclipse ....      78 

From  the  painting  by  Sartorius  in  the  possession  of  Lady  Dorchester 

Eclipse 82 

From  the  engraving  in  the  British  Museum  by  Burke  after  the  painting 
by  G.  Stubbs 

Eclipse  Galloping  over  the  Beacon  Course      ....      86 

After  the  painting  by  Sartorius,  in  the  possession  of  M.  Jean  Stern, 
Chantilly 

The  Start page    93 

By  Rowlandson 

Eclipse 94 

From  the  painting  by  Sartorius  in  the  possession  of  Julian  Sampson, 
Esq. 

Eclipse  at  Full  Gallop 94 

From  a  print  in  the  possession  of  H.R.H.  Prince  Christian  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein  after  the  painting  by  Sartorius 

Tricks  of  the  Turf 100 

By  Rowlandson 

xxvii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  y,^,„ 

page 

The  Betting  Post page  102 

By  Rowlandson 

Highflyer  (by  Herod) 104 

From  an  engraving  after  Gilpin's  picture 

Letter    from    Andrew    O'Kelly    concerning    the    Speed    of 

Eclipse .     108 

Eclipse 114 

From  a  painting   in  the  possession    of   H.R.H.  Prince   Christian    of 
Schleswig-Holstein 

Mr.  Weatherby's  Memorandum  to  Lord  Abingdon    .        .       .116 
Map  of  Epsom  Race  Course  in  1823 118 

Showing  the  O'Kelly  Stables,  Clay  Hill 

Letter  from  Charlotte  Hayes   (known  as  Mrs.  O'Kelly)  in 

1802 120 

Letter  from  Philip  O'Kelly  to   his  son  Andrew  concerning 

THE   parrot's   death 122 

Cannons .     126 

The  residence  of  Colonel  O'Kelly,  near  Edgeware,  from  the  lithograph 
in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Haig-Brown 

Eclipse  at  the  Stud .        .        .    128 

From  a  print  after  the  painting  by  Garrard 

The  Eclipse  Hoof 132 

From  a  photograph  taken  by  permission  of  the  Jockey  Club 

The  Skeleton  of  Eclipse 134 

Photographed  by  W.  E,  Gray  from  the  original  in  the  possession  of  the 
Royal  College  of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  Red  Lion  Square,  London 

xxviii 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS  ^oface 

page 

Eclipse 140 

From  the  sketch  in  oils  made  from  life  by  George  Stubbs,  A.R.A.,  in 
the  possession  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey,  Bart.,  of  Elsenham 


The  Skeleton  of  Eclipse 140 

Photographed  by  W.  E.  Gray  from  the  original  in  the  possession  of 
the  Royal  College  of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  Red  Lion  Square,  London 

Saint  Bel's  Geometrical  Study  of  Eclipse         .        .        .       .148 
Saint  Bel's  Anatomical  Study  of  Eclipse 150 

Skull  of  Eclipse 152 

Eclipse's  Skeleton — Hind  Legs,  Side,  Back,  and  Front  View         ,     154 
From  photographs  taken  by  W.  E.  Gray,  by  permission  of  the  Royal 
College  of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  Red  Lion  Square,  London 

Eclipse's  Skeleton — Fore  Legs,  Side,  Front,  and  Back  View   .        .156 
From  a  photograph  by  W.  E.  Gray,  by  permission  of  the  Royal  College 
of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  Red  Lion  Square,  London 

Letter  from  Andrew  O'Kelly 160 

Jupiter  (by  Eclipse) 162 

From  an  engraving  by  Ward  in  the  British  Museum  after  the  painting 
by  Gilpin 

A  Racing  Scene  in  the  Early  Nineteenth  Century  .        .        .164 
From  a  lithograph  in  the  possession  of  H.R.H.  Prince  Christian  of 
Schleswig-Holstein 

Letter  from  Lord  Belfast,  1794 168 

Dungannon  (by  Eclipse) 172 

From  a  print  in  the  British  Museum  after  the  painting  by  G.  Stubbs 

xxix 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS  ^^^^^ 

page 

Soldier  (by  Eclipse) 174 

From  the  engraving  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Somerville  Tattersall 

Thunderbolt  (by  Eclipse) 174 

From  an  engraving  in  the  possession  of  Mr,  Somerville  Tattersall 

Receipt  from   Mr.  Henwood,  Clerk  of  Brighton  Races  in 

1799 180 

Sam  Chifney 182 

From  an  engraving  after  a  contemporary  oil  painting 

Letter  from  Sam  Chifney  to  Andrew  O'Kelly  ....    186 

Philip  O'Kelly's  Bill  to  General  Lake 190 

Portrait  of  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly 192 

From  the  painting  by  Alexander  Pope  in  the  possession  of  Sir  Thomas 
Esmonde 

Beau  Brummell 194 

From  the  original  drawing  by  Max  Beerbohm 

Letter  from  the  Duke  of  Sussex  to  Andrew  O'Kelly    .        .    208 
Signature  of  Dennis  O'Kelly 208 

Cannons,  Edgeware 210 

The  residence  of  Colonel  O'Kelly 

Cannons,  Edgeware 210 

Window  near  which  the  remains  of  Eclipse  were  buried 

Waxy  by  PotSos  (by  Eclipse) 220 

From   the  original    painting  by    Sartorius,  discovered  by  Mr._  G.  H. 
Parsons  of  Alsager,  and  now  in  the  possession  of  R.  C.  Blencowe,  Esq. 

XXX 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

To  face 
page 

Touchstone  (1831-1860) 222 

From  the  painting  by  J.  F.  Herring  in  the  possession  of  the   Duke  of 
Westminster  at  Eaton 

Donovan  at  Ten  Years  Old 224 

From  a  photograph  lent  by  the  Duke  of  Portland 

Ormonde 226 

From  the  painting  by  E.  Adam  in  the  possession  of  the   Duke    of 
Westminster  at  Eaton 

Cup  won  by  Waxy  and  engraved  with  the  Match   between 

gimcrack  and  bay  m alton 228 

From  a  photograph  by  Mr.  Parsons  of  Alsager 

His    Majesty    the   King's    Persimmon,   a    direct    descendant    of 

Eclipse 230 

From  the  photograph  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Parsons  of  Alsager,  1 906 

P0T80S  (by  Eclipse) 230 

From  the  engraving  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Somerville  Tattersall 


CHAPTER  I 

ARABIAN    ORIGINS 

Eduxit  eos  per  abysses  quasi  equum  in  deserto  non  impingenUm 

Value  of  Eclipse  and  his  Descendants  to  the  English  Turf — Meaning  of  the 
Phrase  "English  Thoroughbred" — Special  Peculiarities  of  the  English 
Breed — Authorities  on  the  Biology  and  History  of  the  Horse — Earliest 
Records  of  riding — The  first  Jockey — Hellenic  Horses — Importations  of 
Southern  and  Eastern  Horses  to  Europe  and  England — The  Markham 
Arabian — The  Ancestry  of  the  Shire  Horse — The  Darley  Arabian  and  the 
Royal  Mares — The  Keheilan  Breed  of  Najd — Difference  between  Barbs  or 
Turks  and  Arabs — Primeval  Race  of  Najd — Important  geographical  Posi- 
tion of  Arabia — The  Horse  in  War. 

T  UST  as  no  one  can  ever  beat  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's 
I  record  on  the  Turf,  owing  to  the  accident  that  he  won 
I  the  first  Derby,  so  it  is  impossible  for  any  other  race- 
•I  horse  to  possess  quite  the  reputation  achieved  by 
Eclipse,  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  lived  from  1764  to  1789, 
perhaps  the  most  momentous  years  in  the  history  of  horse- 
breeding.  His  fame  arises  not  so  much  from  the  unbeaten 
record  of  his  two  short  years  upon  the  Turf  as  from  the 
fact  that  his  blood,  transmitted  through  the  more  famous  of 
his  sons,  has  proved  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  any  horse 
on  record.  It  would  not,  indeed,  be  too  much  to  say, 
knowing  what  we  do  know,  that  the  son  of  George  II.  had 
bred  the  most  valuable  animal  in  the  world  when  the  colt  by 
Marske  out  of  Spiletta  was  foaled  in  Windsor  Park. 
Faster  horses  there  have  been  since,  without  a  shadow  of 
doubt ;  but  in  the  reason  of  things  it  is  impossible  that 
even  Ormonde  or  St.  Siuwn  can  ever  hold  quite  the  place  in 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

history  which  is  consecrated  to  O' Kelly's  celebrated  chestnut 
thoroughbred. 

None  of  Eclipse  s  performances  were  ever  timed,  and 
I  have  the  written  testimony  of  his  last  owner  to  prove 
that  he  was  never  run  against  the  watch.  But  every- 
thing points  to  the  fact  that  pace  nowadays  is  far  greater 
than  it  was  in  1770  over  anything  up  to  two  miles,  partly, 
of  course,  because  we  now  run  our  races  out  from  end 
to  end,  instead  of  waiting  at  the  start,  and  the  speed 
at  which  the  Grand  National  Steeplechase  was  run  last 
March  is  sufficient  to  show  that  if  we  cared  to  train  our 
animals  for  four  miles  on  the  flat  we  could  produce  a 
pace  that  would  show  an  equivalent  improvement  over 
1770  at  all  distances.  Caimmts  1.33^  for  the  mile  was 
done  in  1900.  But  Spearniinfs  2.36*  for  the  Derby  course, 
and  Ascetic  Silver's  9.34I  for  the  4  miles  856  yards,  with  30 
fences,  of  the  Grand  National,  were  both  done  in  1906 ;  all 
three  are  faster  than  the  distance  has  ever  been  done  before  ; 
and  not  one  could  be  approached  in  1770  or  in  1790,  or 
even  in  1810.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  Eclipse  was 
himself  a  very  great  advance  both  in  speed  and  stamina  on 
everything  known  up  to  his  time.  The  high  class  of 
Ormonde  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  he  had  such  extraor- 
dinarily good  company  to  race  against  when  he  beat  Mint- 
ing, Bendigo,  Melton,  St.  Mirin,  The  Bard,  Saraband  and 
Kilwarlin;  the  excellence  of  St.  Simon  is  seen  by  the 
smashing  style  in  which  he  won  his  victories.  Eclipse, 
unbeaten  like  both  of  his  celebrated  successors,  not  only  beat 
the  best  that  England  had  to  send  against  him  for  two 
years,  but  actually  beat  it  by  something  over  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards,  after  making  the  running  all  the  way ;  and, 
again  like  St.  Simon  and  (in  a  less  degree)  Ormonde,  he 
showed  the  invaluable  power  of  being  able  to  transmit  his 
racing  qualities  to  his  descendants. 

This  means  not  only  that  his  own  framework  was  espe- 
cially calculated  for  high  speed  and  prolonged  effort,  but 
that  it  was  animated  by  a  vitality  sufficiently  strong  and 
sufficiently  persistent  to  transmit  his  qualities  through  an 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

ever-widening  circle  of  descendants  for  a  period  of  time  that 
already  extends  over  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  of  the 
chronicles  of  their  success.  How  was  it,  then,  that  so 
extraordinary  a  result  was  produced  for  the  first  time  ? 
What  was  the  marvellous  blend  of  blood  that  at  a  given 
moment,  under  auspicious  circumstances,  produced  this 
English  Thoroughbred  ?  Are  we  to  give  most  of  the  credit 
to  the  Darley  Arabian,  or  to  the  Royal  Mares,  or  to  the 
English  climate  ?  A  share,  I  think,  must  be  allotted  to  all 
three ;  and,  above  all,  we  must  not  forget  to  give  its  due 
share  also  to  that  subtle  and  baffling  process  of  slow  im- 
provement in  English  horseflesh  which  had  been  produced 
by  English  racing  ever  since  1618 — a  date  for  which  my 
reason  will  become  clear  later  on. 

It  will  be  seen  that  I  do  not  here  use  the  word  "  tho- 
roughbred" in  the  same  way  as  some  authorities  have  used  it, 
to  signify  a  pure  and  proved  and  undiluted  strain  of  Eastern 
(or  of  Southern)  blood.  The  only  "thoroughbred"  in  the 
world,  on  this  definition  would  be  the  pure  Arabian  mare 
from  Najd.  The  "  English.Thoroughbred  "  (a  phrase  usually 
shortened,  in  racing  parlance,  to  the  single  word  "  Tho- 
roughbred ")  is  by  no  means  of  pure  extraction,  as  may  be 
seen  from  the  single  consideration  that  the  blood  of  the 
Byerly  Turk,  the  Godolphiii  Barb,  and  the  Darley  Arabian, 
are  transmitted  to  modern  racing  stock  through  Matchem, 
Herod  and  Eclipse,  whose  genealogies  are  by  no  means 
purely  Arabian  even  when  they  can  be  said  to  be  Eastern 
(or  Southern) ;  and  it  is  my  belief  that  the  success  of  these 
three  imported  Eastern  (or  Southern)  sires  was  greater  in 
England  than  that  of  similar  (and  sometimes  better  bred) 
sires  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  for  the  very  reason 
that  their  blood  achieved  precisely  the  best  blend  possible 
when  their  three  great  descendants  were  foaled. 

In  other  words,  whatever  we  may  call  the  English  horse 
that  was  gradually  being  produced  between  1624  and  1764, 
he  possessed  certain  qualities,  resulting  partly  from  climate, 
partly  from  the  habit  of  racing,  and  partly  from  the  gradual 
infusion  of  imported  blood  for  fifteen  centuries ;  and  these 

3 


ECLIPSE  AND   O'KELLY 

qualities  happen  to  be  exactly  the  ones  best  suited  for  cross- 
ing with  the  Arab  strain.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  what 
they  were ;  for  the  Arab  blood  never  produced  the  same 
result  in  any  other  place  or  at  any  other  time,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  most  of  the  civilised  world  has  for  centuries 
endeavoured  to  produce  that  result  by  what  they  considered 
to  be  the  same  process.  Evidently,  therefore,  that  process 
is  either  indefinable  or  undiscoverable.  I  would  liken  its 
search  to  that  of  him  who  would  define  exactly  how  much 
English  blood  flows  in  the  veins  of  the  best  Englishmen. 
In  these  days  of  extended  travel  and  easy  communication, 
marriages  between  different  races  have  grown  common,  and 
each  race  involved  may  have  a  very  mingled  origin.  In 
what  proportion  are  we  to  say  the  various  strains  are 
mixed  ?  The  matter  is  not  simplified  if  we  go  back  to 
simpler  centuries ;  for  long  before  Burke  was  heard  of  or 
Debrett  was  born  there  was  an  aristocracy  in  these  islands. 
What  was  its  origin  ?  Was  it  pure  Norman,  pure  Saxon, 
or  pure  Dane  ;  Celtic,  Teutonic,  or  of  what  unmixed  race  ? 
Of  none,  for  it  is  better  than  any.  Our  most  representative 
families  spring  from  the  happiest  blend  ever  concocted  in 
the  great  laboratory  of  Nature :  the  composite  result  of 
various  strains  known  as  the  "  English." 

Much  the  same  holds  good  of  the  "  English  Thorough- 
bred." He  was  no  more  produced  by  the  calculations  of 
scientific  breeding  than  our  best  English  families  have 
been  to-day.  I  do  not  say  that,  after  the  type  had  once 
arrived,  due  care  in  using  various  strains,  or  in  neglecting 
various  individual  sires  and  dams,  may  not  be  of  supreme 
importance ;  but  I  am  certain  that  Matchem,  Herod, 
and  Eclipse  owed  very  little  to  their  breeders  and  nearly 
everything  to  the  fortunate  combination  of  environment 
and  descent ;  and  I  am  still  more  convinced  that  even 
nowadays  it  is  impossible  to  label  certain  sires  and  dams 
with  various  figures,  treat  them  like  four-legged  multipli- 
cation tables,  and  sit  down  to  wait  with  confidence  for  the 
result. 

We  have,  of  course,   far  more  excuse  for  some  such 

4 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

system  as  this  latter  than  had  the  breeders  of  1764,  because 
we  enjoy  not  only  more  experience  but  far  more  scientific 
knowledge.  The  whole  field  of  inquiry  has,  for  instance, 
been  altered  by  the  life  of  one  man,  Darwin.  In  our  special 
knowledge  of  the  horse,  which  was  begun  by  the  anatomical 
studies  of  Eclipse  published  by  Vial  de  Saint  Bel,  we  can 
now  point  to  the  monumental  researches  of  two  other 
Frenchmen,  Sanson  and  Pietrement,  who  have  practically 
produced  every  scrap  of  evidence  about  a  horse  in  history. 
Mr.  Lydekker  has  made  several  valuable  additions  to 
scientific  theory  on  the  subject,  which  can  be  seen,  better 
than  has  ever  been  the  case  before,  in  the  beautifully 
arranged  exhibits  of  the  natural  history  of  the  horse  to 
which  Professor  E.  Ray  Lankester,  Director  of  the  Natural 
History  Branch  of  the  British  Museum,  has  given  so  much 
successful  attention.  The  writings  of  Mr.  Wilfrid  Scawen 
Blunt  are  a  mine  of  information  about  the  Arab  he  loves  so 
well,  and  breeds  so  carefully  at  Crabbet  Park.  The  late 
Captain  M.  H.  Hayes  has  put  more  about  the  subject  of 
which  he  was  a  master  into  his  one  volume  on  "  Points  of 
the  Horse  "  than  could  previously  be  obtained  in  a  whole 
veterinary  library.  Major-General  Sir  John  Hills  has  still 
further  specialised  the  most  valuable  portion  of  the  inquiry 
in  "  Points  of  a  Racehorse."  Professor  James  Cossar  Ewart 
has  carried  us  more  deeply  into  the  secrets  of  Nature  by 
his  patient  and  accurate  experiments  in  breeding  than  we 
ever  went  before.  Major-General  Tweedie's  researches  into 
the  history  of  the  Arabian  have  distinct  value.  Messrs. 
Bruce-Lowe  and  William  Allison  have  elaborated  a  whole 
theory  of  breeding,  based  on  the  value  of  certain  families  of 
mares,  to  which  I  have  referred  in  the  Appendix.  Sir  Walter 
Gilbey  has  probably  done  as  much  for  various  kinds  of 
horse-breeding  as  any  man  alive,  both  by  precept  and 
example.  Finally,  Professor  William  Ridgeway  has  just 
published  a  volume  which  reveals  a  curious  blend  of 
scholarly  research  and  highly  speculative  theory,  and,  when 
taken  in  conjunction  (for  instance)  with  Pidtrement,  leaves 
little   unprinted   that  is   either  discovered  or  discoverable 

5 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

in  quotations  from  ancient  literature  or  monuments  which 
bear  upon  the  question. 

I  mention  these  prominent  names  not  so  much  that  I 
may  announce  they  have  succeeded  in  their  fascinating 
quest,  not  even  to  safeguard  myself  by  proclaiming  my 
agreement  with  them,  but  merely  to  express  my  profound 
gratitude  for  their  marshalling  of  countless  facts  which  I 
shall  proceed  to  use  without  any  further  specific  acknow- 
ledgment of  their  authority.  This  is  as  much  as  to  say 
that  while  I  recognise  the  industry  and  accuracy  of  each  and 
every  one,  I  am  unable  wholly  to  accept  the  conclusion  of 
any  single  writer  among  those  just  named  ;  and  since  I 
owe  to  my  reader  at  least  that  amount  of  trouble  which 
consists  in  assuring  him  I  have  good  reason  for  my  various 
statements,  I  prefer  to  divide  the  credit  for  most  of  my 
facts  among  all  the  writers  mentioned,  and  to  assume 
myself  the  responsibility  for  conclusions  to  which  none  of 
them  are  wholly  liable.  I  do  not  profess  to  be  that  perfect 
blend  of  biologist,  historian,  racing  man,  and  scholar  which 
can  alone  produce  the  ideal  historian  of  Eclipse,  O'Kelly, 
and  the  modern  thoroughbred  ;  but  I  have  at  least  tried  to 
deny  to  either  of  these  four  essential  qualities  a  prepon- 
derating influence  in  what  I  have  to  say. 

I  shall  begin,  then,  by  sketching  the  natural  history  of 
the  horse  so  far  as  is  necessary  for  determining  whether 
there  was  any  special  breed  which  has  been  a  dominating 
factor  in  the  development  of  Eclipse ;  and,  if  there  was,  I 
shall  try  to  describe  it  and  its  place  of  origin ;  so  that  when 
a  pure  and  undoubted  specimen  of  that  breed  comes  into 
England  we  shall  know  with  a  little  more  accuracy  what  is 
involved.  It  will  be  necessary  also  to  say  something  of  the 
kind  of  horse  with  which  this  imported  animal  (whether 
stallion  or  mare)  was  meant  to  breed,  and  to  add  a  few- 
words  on  climate.  After  this  we  can  begin  to  appreciate  a 
little  better  the  essential  meaning  and  value  of  the  appear- 
ance of  Eclipse,  the  heir  of  so  many  ages,  and  the  author 
of  so  many  victories  to  come.  After  this  great  sire  himself 
has  passed  away,  and  the  best  of  his  descendants  have  been 

6 


SIR      WALTER      GILBEV, 
From    the    original   drawing    h^f    William    Nicholson. 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

described,  it  will  be  possible  to  consider  what  the  effect  of 
his  existence  has  been  upon  the  modern  turf  as  we  know  it. 
This  latter  point  I  propose  to  treat  of  only  in  my  last  pages, 
and  only  with  the  brevity  natural  to  a  subject  which  is  far 
better  known  than  the  rest  of  my  material.  Yet  it  was 
impossible  to  omit  it  in  any  monograph  on  Eclipse  with  the 
least  pretensions  to  completeness,  just  as  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  omit,  in  the  same  chapters,  those  considerations  of 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  his  breeder,  or  of  Colonel  O'Kelly, 
his  owner,  or  of  others  in  that  vastly  interesting  society  of 
racing  men  and  women  before  whose  eyes  the  miracle  of  his 
actual  life  was  passed. 

There  is  no  record  of  any  horse  having  been  ridden 
before  looo  B.C.,  and  I  find  it  quite  natural  to  consider  that 
nearly  three  thousand  years  of  human  development  were 
necessary  to  produce  such  horsemanship  as  Archer's.  But 
chariots  have  been  traced  back  almost  two  thousand  years 
before  that.  And  in  both  cases  I  am  giving  the  extremest 
limit  suggested.  It  is,  at  any  rate,  certain  that  the  horse 
was  used  for  driving  a  very  long  time  before  he  was  ever 
ridden  ;  and  this  again  is  natural,  for  you  can  drive  a  much 
smaller  animal  than  is  able  to  carry  you,  and  the  earliest 
known  riding-horses  have  barely  reached  14  hands.  People 
who  consider  that  the  period  assigned  by  Oppert  to  the 
Accadian  Kings  is  too  dark  and  backward  an  abysm  of 
time  for  chariots,  may  take  it  as  proved  that  chariots  were 
known  in  Babylon  at  any  rate  by  1500  b.c,  and  were  not 
known  in  Egypt  before  that  date.  They  are  carved  upon  a 
tombstone  at  Mycenae  in  about  1400  B.C.,  and  they  were  the 
chief  instruments  in  the  great  Egyptian  campaigns  of  the 
next  century.  Of  course  they  are  a  prominent  feature  in 
the  Homeric  Battles,  which  brings  us  to  about  850  B.C., 
and  while  the  date  of  the  lowest  stratum  of  the  Temple  of 
Artemis,  just  discovered  by  Professor  Bosanquet,  remains 
uncertain,  we  may  agree  that  the  earliest  four-horse  chariot 
surviving  in  Greek  art  is  the  quadriga  carved  in  an  ancient 
metope  at  Selinus,  in  Sicily,  in  628  B.C.  No  doubt  this  is 
far  from  the  earliest  made,  for  there  was  a  chariot-race  at 

7 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

the  Olympic  Games  of  680  b.c,  and  there  I  may  confidently 
leave  the  subject,  for  in  another  generation  Greek  horses 
had  grown  big  enough  to  ride,  and  Archer's  prototype 
appeared  in  the  first  Greek  jockey  at  the  Olympic  Games 
of  648  B.C. 

That  appearance  no  doubt  presupposes  a  good  deal  of 
riding  previously ;  but  as  far  as  possible,  in  a  subject  so 
admittedly  speculative,  I  am  struggling  to  get  at  facts.  For 
this  reason  I  cannot  accept  any  argument  derived  from 
Greek  pottery  discovered  at  Defenneh,  the  ancient  Daphnae, 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Nile  Delta.  Upon  it  are  the 
figures  of  a  man  and  horse,  coloured  dark,  with  a  white 
dog  and  a  woman  (also  white)  riding  the  horse.  The  whole 
hindquarters  of  the  animal  have  unfortunately  disappeared, 
so  that  it  is  difficult  to  speak  accurately  of  his  breed ;  and, 
though  the  origin  of  the  discovery  points  to  the  pottery 
having  been  made  for  people  east  of  the  Nile,  the  only 
thing  I  should  consider  it  to  suggest  would  be  that  women 
are  depicted  riding  in  the  seventh  century  before  Christ  (to 
which  the  pottery  is  assigned),  and  therefore  that  men  had 
begun  to  ride  some  time  before  the  Olympic  Games  of 
648  B.C.,  which  is  undoubtedly  correct. 

The  horses  carved  upon  the  Parthenon  show  that  the 
breed,  though  still  smaller  than  a  polo-pony,  had  un- 
doubtedly assimilated  a  good  deal  of  the  southern  strain  ; 
and  in  the  refined  cheek  and  jaw,  the  large  and  promi- 
nent eye,  the  lovely  nostril,  they  exhibit  the  points  we  are 
accustomed  to  associate  with  Arab  blood,  though  they  also 
show  the  added  length  of  head  (in  proportion  to  the  body) 
which  is  observable  to-day  in  any  cross  between  an  Arab 
and  a  coarser  breed.  By  359  b.c.  we  find  a  jockey  on  horse- 
back on  the  coins  of  Philip  II.  of  Macedon,  and  we  know 
that  Alexander's  famous  Bucephalus  was  bred  by  Philonicus 
of  Pharsalus,  in  Thessaly.  Now  the  Thessalian  horses 
of  about  that  age  have  been  described,  and  they  show  that 
the  cross  between  southern  strains  and  the  old,  dun,  abori- 
ginal stock  of  Greece  had  been  improved  since  the  Parthenon 
was  built.      The  phrase  .  .  .  "vestigia  primi  Alba   pedis, 

8 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

frontemque  ostentans  arduus  albam "  almost  exactly  fits 
'Eclipse,  and  shows  that  the  breed  of  the  Darley  Arabian, 
dark  bay  with  a  white  forehead  and  one  or  more  white  feet, 
had  already  begun  to  make  its  mark. 

An  inscription  found  in  the  castle  of  St.  Angelo,  at  Rome, 
gives  the  names  of  forty-two  winners  driven  in  the  second 
half  of  the  first  century  a.d.  by  Avilius  Teres,  a  celebrated 
charioteer.  Out  of  this  total  no  less  than  thirty-seven  are 
called  Libyan,  and  another  is  described  as  Mauretanian. 
The  use  of  stock  from  the  southern  side  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean littoral  was  evidently  spreading.  The  Britons  who 
faced  Julius  Caesar's  invading  legions  do  not  yet  appear, 
however,  to  have  discovered  the  strange  improvement 
wrought  upon  the  Continent  by  these  southern  importa- 
tions ;  for  their  horses  were  still  so  small  that  they  were 
chiefly  used  in  chariots  when  it  came  to  fighting.  It  is 
difficult  to  form  any  notion  of  what  our  small  aboriginal 
horse  was  like,  though  it  was  at  Newmarket,  appropriately 
enough,  that  a  coin  of  Cunobelin  was  discovered,  used  by 
the  Iceni  whom  Boadicea  led  against  the  invader,  on  which 
the  trained  eye  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey  has  discovered  cardinal 
points  in  common  with  Shire,  Clydesdale  or  Suffolk  breeds 
of  the  present  day.  Whether  the  animal  depicted  had  any 
affinity  with  the  stock  beloved  by  the  men  who  fought 
under  the  banner  of  the  White  Horse  and  carved  their 
totem  on  the  Berkshire  Downs,  I  cannot  say.  But  it  is 
certain  that  the  Emperor  Severus  imported  horses  of  a 
southern  breed  to  Netherby,  in  Yorkshire ;  and  as  I  know 
of  none  before  his  time,  it  is  to  them  I  must  assign  the  dim 
beginning  of  that  magical  transmutation  of  our  stock  which 
was  eventually  to  result  in  Eclipse. 

Athelstan  and  Alfred  had  gifts  made  to  them  of  southern 
horses.  The  first  Briton  who  actually  brought  one  to  these 
shores  was  Alexander,  King  of  Scotland,  in  1121  ;  and  from 
that  time  onwards  animals  of  a  similar  breed  were  either 
given  to  royalty  or  imported  by  them  in  small  quantities  ; 
but  the  first  one  whose  value  for  breeding  racers  was 
publicly  acknowledged  was  the  Mark/mm  Arabian,  which 

9 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

King  James  I.  purchased  in  1618,  with  the  deliberate  object 
of  improving  the  breed.  The  lesson  had  been  learnt  at 
last ;  but  it  was  not  quite  the  right  blood  yet,  though  near 
it,  for  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  (in  a  book  published  in  1667) 
says  of  him,  "  I  never  saw  any  but  one  of  these  horses,"  a 
curious  admission  which  seems  to  show  that  the  Markhain 
Arabian  at  least  justified  his  title  so  far  as  to  appear 
different  from  the  Turks  and  Barbs  and  half-breeds  which 
preceded  him.  Yet  he  cannot  have  been  right,  for  the 
same  excellent  judge  describes  the  animal  "  which  Mr.  John 
Markham  brought  over  and  said  he  was  a  right  Arabian. 
He  was  bay,  but  a  little  horse,  and  no  rarity  for  shape.  ,  .  . 
V/hen  he  came  to  run,  every  horse  beat  him."  The  Duke 
was  undoubtedly  prejudiced  in  favour  of  the  big  black 
English  breed,  the  "great  horse"  of  Charles  I.'s  statue  in 
Trafalgar  Square  ;  but  he  knew  what  he  was  talking  about. 
The  Markham  Arabiaiis  failure  on  the  racecourse  was, 
with  the  knowledge  we  have  now,  only  natural.  His  com- 
parative failure  at  the  stud  is  a  more  damning  fact,  though 
I  have  no  doubt  he  "prepared  the  way"  through  many 
channels  which  are  unknown  to  us,  and  improved  the  breed 
without  leaving  much  record  of  his  services.  As  appears 
from  the  Exchequer  Receipt  in  the  Record  Office,  he  cost 
^iS\  ^"d  £^\  I  to  his  groom. 

The  age  of  heavy  armour  had  kept  the  "  great  horse  " 
fashionable  in  England  much  longer  than  his  speed  alone 
would  ever  have  warranted.  His  size  was  no  doubt  the 
result  of  such  importations  as  those  of  Henry  VHI.  from 
the  celebrated  Gonzaga  stud  in  Mantua,  a  stud  full  of 
southern  crosses ;  and  he  was  without  doubt  the  ancestor 
of  the  shire-horse  of  the  present  day.  But  the  final  dis- 
appearance of  the  heavy-armoured  knight,  and  the  rise  of 
such  light  cavalry  as  Cromwell's,  necessitated  pace  as  well 
as  mere  endurance ;  and  the  heavy  black  horse  was  either 
relegated  to  the  plough,  the  waggon  and  the  family  coach, 
or  he  was  crossed  (later  on)  with  the  thoroughbred  to  pro- 
duce the  chargers  of  the  Household  Cavalry.  The  shire- 
horse,  who  descends  from  him,  has  not  wholly  beaten  his 

10 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

sword  into  a  ploughshare,  and  so  room  is  still  found  for  him 
on  a  modern  battlefield.  But  no  man  rides  him.  He  pulls 
the  batteries  of  4.7  guns  which  did  such  good  service  in 
South  Africa. 

From  all  this  it  follows  that  England,  before  1700,  had 
only  imported  Turks,  Barbaries,  or  their  derivatives,  with 
very  rare  exceptions,  such  as  a  few  of  the  Royal  Mares  or 
the  Markham  Arabian;  and  it  is  clear  that  no  startling 
result  had  yet  been  reached.  The  experience  of  the  Conti- 
nent, that  all  other  aboriginal  breeds  were  improved  by 
being  crossed  with  animals  from  regions  to  the  south  and 
east  of  the  Mediterranean,  had  indeed  been  followed.  But 
the  exactly  right  blood  had  not  been  tapped.  Even  if  the 
Markham  Arabian  had  been  right,  the  conditions  of  16 17 
were  evidently  not  yet  ripe  to  produce  the  victorious  blend 
required.  They  were  not  perfect  even  when,  in  17 10,  the 
right  sire  did  at  last  arrive.  And  he  was  himself  no  good 
on  the  racecourse,  but  that  he  brought  the  right  blood  his 
extraordinary  and  immediate  successes  at  the  stud  are  on 
record  as  a  proof. 

The  Darley  Arabian  was  imported  in  17 10,  and  he  is 
the  only  authentically  pure-bred  "Anazah"  horse  in  the 
General  Stud  Book.  He  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Darley, 
of  Buttercramb,  near  York,  whose  brother  was  a  merchant 
abroad  and  sent  the  horse  from  Aleppo  to  England.  The 
position  of  Aleppo  (Haleb)  is  of  some  importance,  for  Aleppo 
is  still  one  of  the  regular  markets  for  the  horse  dealers  of 
Najd.  It  is  on  the  36th  degree  of  longitude  east  of  Green- 
wich, between  the  seacoast  of  Northern  Syria  (opposite  the 
north  of  Cyprus)  and  the  right-hand  bank  of  the  river 
Euphrates  ;  and  it  was  probably  not  far  from  here  that  the 
animal  was  bred.  He  was  a  bay  with  a  white  star  on  his 
forehead  and  four  white  feet,  of  the  breed  called  by  the 
Arabs  "  Keheilan,"  and  he  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  "  Ras- 
el-Fedawi."  The  word  "  Keheilan "  is  a  derivative  o 
"  Kohl,"  which  is  the  name  given  by  the  Arabs  to  the  only 
breed  of  true  Arabian,  because  the  skin  of  these  horses,  not 
only  on  the  face,  but  all  over  the  body,  shows  the  blue-black 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

tint  of  the  human  skin  when  dyed  with  the  mineral  pecu- 
liarly affected  by  Eastern  women.  The  Darky  Arabimi 
has  been  called  an  "Anazah"  horse,  from  the  name  of  the 
tribe  which  bred  him.  They  live  in  the  district  called 
Shammar  or  Shamiya  by  the  Arabs,  and  the  Palmyrene  or 
Syrian  desert  by  Europeans,  between  the  40th  and  45th 
degree  of  east  longitude,  and  from  the  25th  to  the  30th 
parallel  of  latitude.  The  name  "  Aneisa"  will  be  found,  in 
most  good  atlases,  almost  exactly  on  the  45th  degree  of  east 
longitude,  in  the  country  to  the  east  of  the  Red  Sea.  To 
this  district  the  Anazah  tribe  have  migrated  from  Najd, 
which  is  a  little  further  to  the  south-east  in  Central  Arabia ; 
and,  by  common  consent  of  both  Bedouins  and  Europeans, 
they  still  possess  the  best  horses,  which  are  usually  about 
i4-3>  generally  bay,  and  constantly  with  a  white  star  or 
blaze  on  the  face  and  one  or  more  white  feet,  as  was  the  case 
with  the  Darley  Arabian,  Flying  Childers,  and  Eclipse. 

Of  the  Keheilan  horses  Mr.  Blunt,  writing  from  per- 
sonal observation,  says  that  they  are  "  the  most  numerous 
and,  taken  generally,  the  most  esteemed.  They  contain  a 
greater  proportion,  I  think,  of  bays  than  any  other  strain. 
They  are  the  fastest,  though  not  perhaps  the  hardiest 
horses,  and  bear  a  closer  resemblance  than  the  rest  " — Mr. 
Blunt  is  writing,  of  course,  in  the  nineteenth  century — "  to 
English  thoroughbreds,"  a  resemblance  which  would  quite 
naturally  strike  an  Englishman  of  the  present  day,  since 
the  majority  of  our  modern  racing  stock  is  derived  from  the 
Djo^rley  Arabian  through  Eclipse. 

It  has  been  proved  that  cross-bred  horses  are  taller  and 
stronger  than  the  pure  Keheilans,  whether  the  mate  chosen 
for  the  Arab  is  taller  than  the  eastern  animal  or  not,  and 
irrespective  of  sex  on  either  side.  This  is  important  with  a 
view  to  the  results  of  breeding  in  England  ;  and  it  may  be 
added  that  the  horses  now  used  for  breeding  by  the  Anazah 
tribes  are  not  chosen  for  size  and  shape,  or  for  any  quality 
of  speed  or  stoutness,  but  only  for  their  blood,  so  that  all 
their  stock  is  related  in  the  closest  degree  of  consanguinity, 
and  must  have  somewhat  degenerated  ;  for,  when  a  stallion 

12 


15       ^ 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

was  brought  to  Mr.  Blunt  to  see,  owing  to  his  unexceptional 
blood,  that  unprejudiced  and  accurate  observer  thought  him 
"  a  mere  pony  without  a  single  good  point."  This  reminds 
me  irresistibly  of  the  Duke  of  Newcastle's  verdict  on  the 
MarkJiam  Arabian,  and  it  suggests  that,  while  the  animal 
bought  by  James  I.  in  1618  may  have  shown  the  same 
signs  of  degeneration  observed  by  Mr.  Blunt  in  the  "  pony" 
of  a  few  years  ago,  the  horse  picked  out  by  Mr.  Darley  at 
Aleppo  in  17 10  was  of  the  finest  fibre  of  a  strong  race  at  its 
best.  Whether  this  hypothesis  be  right,  or  whether  the 
"Royal  Mares"  imported  between  1618  and  1710  had 
altered  the  situation,  the  fact  remains  that  the  Darley 
Arabian,  when  mated  with  mares  resident  in  England, 
produced  an  offspring  which  was  better  than  either  of  its 
parents,  and  did  what  the  Markham  Arabian  has  never 
been  recorded  as  having  shown  any  signs  of  doing.  I  must 
add  my  own  opinion  that  the  blood  of  the  Darley  Arabian 
proved  itself  so  potent  for  yet  another  reason  :  he  was  a  pure 
representative  of  the  oldest  and  best  indigenous  breed  of 
horses  in  the  world. 

It  has  been  suggested  by  the  latest  writer  on  the  subject 
that  this  indigenous  breed  (which  Professor  Ridgeway  calls 
equits  caballus  libycus)  came  originally  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean littoral  of  North-West  Africa  and  the  plains  imme- 
diately south  of  the  Atlas,  the  very  regions,  in  fact,  inhabited 
by  the  modern  Barb,  whose  special  characteristics  are  a 
convex  forehead  line  (giving  him  a  ramsheaded  profile),  and 
a  tail  set  low  down  and  carried  trailing  between  his  hocks. 
But  not  only  was  the  Atlas  region  quite  cut  off  from  the 
rest  of  Africa,  in  primitive  times,  by  the  geography  of  the 
country,  but  the  type  of  the  Barb  is  as  different  from  the 
true  Keheilan  form  of  the  Darley  Arabian  as  the  Turk  is 
from  either.  As  a  matter  of  much  greater  probability,  the 
Keheilan,  or  Arabian,  was  the  original  type  from  which  both 
Barb  and  Turk  were  early  derivatives,  and  it  was  from  the 
East,  and  not  from  the  West,  that  ancient  Egypt  took  her 
best  breed,  as  eighteenth-century  England  took  it  later  on. 

The  elevated  plateau  of  Najd  rises  some  4000  feet  above 

13 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

the  sea  in  Central  Arabia,  buttressed  by  mountains  that 
may  be  higher  still.  Water  was  formerly  much  more 
plentiful  there  than  it  is  now,  says  an  experienced  traveller 
and  eye-witness,  and  still  exists  in  quantities  sufficient  for 
sober  feeders  on  the  high  ground,  while  there  is  plenty  of 
grass  and  shrubs  for  pasture,  and  in  earlier  centuries  this 
may  well  have  been  as  great  a  district  for  horse-breeding  in 
the  animal's  natural  and  wild  state,  as  it  is  now  that  they 
are  bred  and  cared  for  by  the  Arabs.  It  is  not  at  all  impos- 
sible that  horses  should  have  lived  here  before  man  ;  but  it 
certainly  is  impossible  in  the  Sahara.  Najd  offers,  in  fact, 
very  much  the  same  facilities  for  horse-forage  as  are  found 
on  the  principal  horse-breeding  plateaus  of  Central  Asia, 
where  they  run  wild  to  this  day ;  and  it  may  well  be  that  a 
variety  of  the  wild  horse  of  Southern  Asia,  wandering  south- 
wards by  the  higher  line  of  hill  country  which  joins  Syria 
to  the  central  plateau  of  Arabia,  reached  Najd,  remained 
there,  and,  in  the  increasing  dryness,  became  specialised 
into  a  breed  which  may  be  called  indigenous,  which  is 
certainly  different  from  every  other  in  the  world,  which  has 
certainly  preserved  its  characteristic  excellencies  longer  than 
any  other  in  the  world,  and  which  has  had  more  influence 
than  any  other  breed  upon  the  improvement  of  horses  all 
over  the  world.  The  primeval  horse  left  behind  in  Central 
Asia  by  these  more  hardy  and  adventurous  wanderers  may 
be  typified  by  the  small  wild  variety  known  as  "  Prej- 
valsky's  horse "  to-day,  and  it  is  this  coarser  breed  which 
furnished  the  aboriginal  stock  of  Europe  which  successive 
importations  of  Arabian,  Turk  and  Barb  improved. 

That  the  horses  who  had  domiciled  themselves  in  Najd 
were  not  starved  out  for  want  of  water  before  the  first  men 
who  reached  the  district  discovered  them,  is  clear  from  what 
followed ;  and  the  process  of  the  gradual  survival  of  the 
fittest,  which  was  necessitated  by  increasing  aridity,  only 
improved  the  material  when  it  was  discovered.  No  doubt 
the  first  tribes  who  came  in  contact  with  the  breed,  after- 
wards to  be  known  as  "  Keheilan,"  used  camels  as  their 
chief  form  of  locomotion.     The  Arabs  living  on  the  same 

H 


ARABIAN  ORIGINS 

spot  now  have  camels  still.  But  riding-horses  very  pro- 
bably came  into  fashion  when  the  decay  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  about  120  a.d.,  gave  an  opportunity  for  the  founda- 
tion of  the  two  Arab  kingdoms  of  Hira  and  Ghassan  on 
the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  on  the  Syrian  frontier 
respectively.  This,  in  Pidtrement's  opinion,  gave  Central 
Arabia  its  opportunity  for  supplying  light  cavalry  during 
the  next  six  centuries.  With  the  arrival  of  Mahomet  the 
position  of  the  Arab  horse  was  fixed  for  all  time. 

Najd,  it  will  be  noticed,  occupies  a  very  important 
geographical  position  with  reference  to  the  movement  of 
early  trade  and  population.  To  the  north-east,  beyond  the 
frontier-hills  of  Persia,  lie  Meshed  and  Teheran.  Along 
the  northern  horizon  lies  the  Euphrates  valley,  with  Basra 
and  Bagdad.  To  the  north-west  are  Aleppo,  Palmyra, 
Damascus  and  Beyrout.  Across  the  Nile  delta  is  Alexan- 
dria. The  Persian  Gulf  extends  its  waters  to  the  east  of 
the  Arabian  Peninsula,  the  Red  Sea  laves  its  western 
boundaries,  and  close  to  this  coast-line  lies  Mecca. 

It  was  the  doctrines  which  spread  from  Mecca  that  first 
gave  its  real  impetus  to  careful  breeding  from  the  indi- 
genous Arabian  horse  of  Najd,  produced  as  I  have  just 
indicated  and  improved  as  Pi^trement  suggests  many  a 
century  before  the  Koran  was  ever  written.  "  Thou  shalt 
be  to  a  man  a  source  of  happiness  and  wealth,"  wrote 
Mahomet  of  the  horse,  and  it  was  of  the  Anazah  breed 
that  he  was  writing  ;  the  breed  which  (through  its  Barb 
derivatives)  had  made  Pindar  sing  of  Gyrene,  "the  city  of 
fair  steeds  and  goodly  riders ; "  which  gave  Carthage,  in 
400  B.C.,  the  crest  of  a  horse's  head  upon  her  coins  ;  which 
furnished  those  Numidian  steeds  that  helped  Hannibal  to 
teach  the  Romans  the  value  of  good  cavalry.  It  was  by 
the  constant  and  religious  use  of  the  fountain-head  of  this 
the  best  blood  in  the  world,  that  the  Mahomedan  cavalry 
spread  the  faith  of  the  Prophet  so  widely  and  victoriously 
over  the  face  of  the  earth.  It  was  the  southern  blood  in  his 
best  horses  which  gave  William  the  Conqueror  his  victorious 
cavalry  at  Hastings. 

15 


CHAPTER   II 

ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

Equi  rufi  qui  erartt  robustissimi  exierant  et  qutsrehant  ire  et  dUcurrere  per 
omnem  terram  .  ,  .  ecce  qui  egrediuntur  in  terram  aquilonis 

Questions  of  Colour — Points  of  the  True  Arab — The  Face-gland  in  Skulls 
of  Arabs,  Thoroughbreds,  and  Shires — Mr.  Wilfrid  Blunt's  Arabs — The 
Problem  of  Breeding — Why  England  Succeeded  where  other  Nations  Failed 
■ — Famous  Mares — Arguments  from  Eclipse's  Pedigree — Pure  and  impure 
Strains  of  Blood — Predominance  of  Eclipse  Blood — Breeding  of  our  Derby 
Winners — Spearmint — Steeplechasing — Effects  of  Climate — Effects  of  Re- 
importing Exported  Stock — The  Year  of  the  Great  Eclipse. 

IT  is  easier  to  imagine  what  the  typical,  pure  breed  of 
the  old  Arab  looked  like  than  is  the  case  with  any 
other  animal  ;  for  its  points  are  so  persistent  through- 
out the  artistic  record  of  its  life-history  that  there  is 
probably  very  little  difference  in  the  best  of  Mr.  Wilfrid 
Blunt's  Arabs  in  the  Crabbet  Park  pastures  of  to-day,  from 
their  far-off  progenitors  who  carried  the  first  horsemen  of 
the  Prophet  on  their  military  Evangel  throughout  Africa, 
Asia,  and  Europe.  In  colour  the  Keheilan  foals  are  always 
bay,  chestnut,  or  dark  brown  ;  none  are  ever  foaled  white, 
and  those  that  turn  white  later  on  preserve  the  dark, 
"  kohl "  skin  distinctive  of  their  breed.  The  produce  of 
two  chestnuts  in  the  Keheilan  is  always  a  chestnut ;  but  no 
other  colour  is  so  persistent,  not  even  bay,  which  may 
possibly  indicate  ihdl  Eclipse  s  vivid  chestnut  coat  is  appro- 
priate to  his  first-rate  strain  of  Eastern  breeding.  It  is 
curious  that  in  early  days  from  1700  onwards,  English  race- 
horses ran  in  all  colours,  as  will  be  seen  from  my  extracts 

16 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

from  Yorkshire  racing-cards  later  on  ;  and  for  a  long  while 
greys  remained  good,  though  the  only  one  I  ever  saw  in  the 
Derby  was  the  ill-fated  Holocauste ;  in  Australia  they  were 
common  for  much  longer.  But  since  1836  colours  have 
gradually  become  much  more  uniform.  In  the  thirty  years 
following,  for  example,  the  Derby  was  won  by  sixteen  bays, 
seven  chestnuts  and  seven  browns.  The  same  proportion 
(with  two  less  chestnuts)  hold  good  in  the  Oaks  and 
St.  Leger.  From  1870  to  1899  inclusive,  taking  the  three 
first  horses  in  the  Derby,  Oaks,  and  St.  Leger,  we  find  that 
132  were  bay,  78  were  chestnut,  46  brown,  and  4  black. 
Of  the  others,  nine  were  of  the  indeterminate  shades 
between  black  and  brown,  and  between  brown  and  bay. 
The  bays  are  not  only  more  numerous  at  the  end,  but  have 
steadily  increased  all  the  time.  The  result  is  that  English 
thoroughbred  stock  is  slowly  becoming  all  bay,  and  it 
would  be  difficult  to  deny  that  this  has  some  connection 
with  the  precisely  parallel  growth  in  the  establishment  of 
the  Darky  Arabiaiis  blood,  a  growth  which  I  shall  show 
in  greater  detail  directly.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that 
bay  colouring  may  be  taken  to  be  as  distinctively  typical  of 
Keheilan  ancestry  as  conformation,  and  it  is  interesting  to 
note  how  often  the  white  blaze  on  the  face,  and  the  one  or 
more  white  feet  are  still  repeated  in  the  famous  descendants 
of  Eclipse  that  have  made  their  mark  in  English  racing. 
How  long  distinctive  colour-marks  may  endure  can  be  seen 
at  Newmarket  to-day ;  for  a  yearling  has  just  made  his 
appearance  there  with  the  exact  mark  upon  him  which 
suggested  a  name  for  the  Bloody-shouldered  Arabian  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  It  is  significant  that  the  Arabs 
always  set  great  store  upon  such  marks,  and  others  of  a 
like  kind. 

Throughout  the  whole  frame  of  the  Keheilan,  observers 
in  his  own  country  are  unanimous  in  praising  the  extreme 
natural  appearance  of  the  horse,  the  balance  of  his  power, 
the  symmetry  of  his  form,  the  proportion  of  his  lines.  The 
head  is  peculiarly  beautiful,  and  is  more  nearly  divided  into 
equal  parts  by  the  centre  of  the  eye  than  is  the  case  with 

17  B 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

other  breeds  ;  it  tapers  very  much  from  eye  to  muzzle  and 
the  nostril  is  peculiarly  long,  running  upwards  towards  the 
face  and  set  up  outwards  from  the  nose,  so  that  in  moments 
of  excitement  it  expands  beyond  the  outline  of  the  nose 
when  seen  in  profile.  The  ears  are  beautifully  shaped,  well 
placed,  and  point  upwards  in  a  manner  that  is  an  un- 
doubted sign  of  the  blood.  The  throat  is  particularly 
large,  loose,  and  pliant.  The  shoulders  slope  a  great  deal, 
and  are  deep  and  strong  by  the  withers.  Standing  in  front 
of  him  you  see  the  swell  of  his  barrel  expanding  beyond 
his  breast  and  shoulders,  as  was  the  case  with  Eclipse, 
though  I  have  seen  very  few  modern  stayers  of  that  build. 
Big  heart-room  nowadays  seems  more  associated  with  high 
speed  over  a  short  distance.  An  Arab's  back  ribs,  seen 
from  behind,  have  just  as  great  a  swell  ;  and  this  also  will 
be  noticeable  in  my  photograph  of  Eclipses  skeleton.  He 
has  a  symmetrically  curved  neck,  with  high  and  well- 
developed  withers,  and  a  short  back  just  big  enough  for  a 
saddle  and  no  more.  His  stride  is  longer  in  proportion  to 
his  size  than  that  of  any  other  horse,  which  is  chiefly 
owing  to  his  knee  being  set  on  low  and  his  sloping  pas- 
terns. The  feet  are  wide,  and  open  at  the  heels,  the  hocks 
large,  clean  and  well- formed,  and  the  quarters  both  long 
and  deep. 

Such,  if  we  may  believe  an  unvarying  tradition  in 
accurate  artistic  presentments  of  him  throughout  the 
centuries,  was  the  original  Keheilan,  when  his  type  had 
once  been  fixed  upon  the  table-land  of  Najd  ;  and  such  was 
the  Darley  Arabian  of  1710  when  he  was  brought  into  this 
country.  You  might  have  seen  the  exact  type,  still  persist- 
ing from  the  same  locality,  in  Lord  Roberts'  famous 
charger  at  the  Jubilee  Procession  of  Queen  Victoria.  You 
may  see  it  now  in  Mr.  Blunt's  pastures  at  Crabbet  Park. 

A  most  interesting  confirmation  of  these  historical  facts 
is  suggested  by  the  biological  argument  drawn  from  the 
seriesof  horses' skulls  now  exhibited  in  the  Natural  History 
Branch  of  the  British  Museum.  In  those  of  thoroughbreds 
(of  which  I  have  reproduced  Bend  Or,  Stockwell,  and  others) 

18 


STOCKWKLL 

From  a  jtrint  in  the  "  Sporting  Magazine,"    Vol.  CXX. 


SKILL  OF  STOCKWELL 

In   the  lin'tish   MuMum  of  Xaturai   Histi-rg 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

you  will  observe  a  slight  depression  in  the  bone  of  the  face 
in  front  of  the  socket  for  the  eye.  This  was  first  pointed 
out  by  Mr.  R.  Lydekker.  A  similar  depression  occurs  in 
the  skulls  of  Arabs,  which  are  further  distinguished  by  the 
sinuous  outline  of  the  profile,  a  feature  very  noticeable  in 
descendants  of  that  famous  thoroughbred  King  Tom.  It  is 
quite  evident  that  this  depression  corresponds  to  a  some- 
what deeper  one  occurring  in  the  skull  of  the  extinct  Indian 
Eqmis  sivalensis ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  latter 
does  not  represent  a  still  larger  cavity  found  in  the  three- 
toed  Hippaviou.  This  has  been  explained  as  the  cavity  for 
a  face-gland  like  the  "  larmier  "  of  deer,  and  the  "  crumen  " 
of  many  antelopes  ;  and  it  is  a  natural  inference  that  the 
faint  depression  noticeable  in  Arabs  and  thoroughbreds  is 
the  last  vestige  of  this  face-gland.  It  appears,  however, 
that  in  thoroughbreds  it  serves  as  the  point  of  origin  for 
the  muscle  which  elevates  the  outer  side  of  the  nostril — a 
muscle  which  has  a  specially  strong  action  in  Arabs,  who 
have  much  greater  power  of  raising  the  rim  of  the  nostril 
than  other  breeds. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  original  function  of  the 
depression,  it  seems  practically  certain  that  the  vestige 
occurring  in  Arabs  and  thoroughbreds  represents  the 
deeper  one  in  Equiis  sivalensis  and  the  distinct  pit  in 
Hippaviou.  As  a  rule,  this  vestige  is  absent  in  the  ordinary 
horses  of  North-Western  Europe,  which  are  believed  to  be 
derived  from  the  dun  Equtts  caballns przevalskii  type  ;  and 
hence  arises  the  inference  that  Arabs  and  thoroughbreds 
carry  proofs  in  their  structure  of  descent  from  a  different 
stock.  Can  it  be  that,  as  I  suggested  a  few  pages  back,  the 
original  Arabian  who  developed  his  own  type  at  Najd,  was 
a  wandering  offshoot  of  the  Indian  Eqmts  sivalensis,  and 
therefore  retained  (throughout  all  his  other  changes  in 
Arabia)  the  original  face-gland,  or  whatever  we  may  call 
the  structure,  later  than  was  the  case  with  the  ancestral 
stock  of  the  dun  breed  that  populated  the  north-western 
continent. 

Somewhat  curiously,  a  very  large  pre-orbital  depression 

19 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

is  observable  in  the  two  skulls  of  pedigree  shire-horses  in 
the  Museum,  Blaisdoii  Cotiqtieror  and  Prince  William. 
Shires  are  known  to  have  been  crossed  with  Barb  blood 
when  used  as  war-horses  in  mediaeval  times  ;  and  to  this,  it 
is  suggested,  is  due  the  facial  depression.  The  question  is 
naturally  still  undecided ;  but  Shires  are  interesting  from 
another  point  of  view.  The  foot-bones  of  Prince  William, 
also  displayed  in  the  Museum,  exhibit  a  remarkable  develop- 
ment of  the  splint-bones  in  each  foot,  which  carry  at  their 
lower  ends  an  enlargement  certainly  representing  the  lateral 
phalangeal  bones  of  the  three-toed  Hipparion.  This  identi- 
fication has  made  it  possible  to  correlate  the  very  small 
terminal  expansion  sometimes  found  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
splint-bones  of  other  horses — Slockwell,  for  instance,  with 
the  lateral  phalanges  of  Hipparion,  their  extinct  cousin. 

I  may  add,  in  passing,  that  no  lover  of  the  horse  can 
now  neglect  the  Museum  in  which  Professor  Ray  Lankester 
has  done  as  much  for  the  thoroughbred  as  for  any  animal 
in  the  vast  establishment  over  which  he  so  ably  presides. 
I  have  given  a  few  photographs  to  illustrate  what  has  just 
been  written  ;  but  in  the  Museum  you  may  now  see  exqui- 
site models  to  scale  of  Persimmon,  Zinfandel,  and  the  Arab 
Jenghis  Khan,  which  are  of  the  greatest  interest  for  pur- 
poses of  comparison,  as  the  different  skulls  and  skeletons 
are  set  up  and  labelled  to  show  the  development  of  various 
breeds  and  types  from  the  fossils  found  in  the  lower  Eocene 
tertiary  strata  to  those  of  the  present  day. 

The  development  possible  in  pure  Arabian  stock  un- 
mixed with  other  breeds  may  be  best  seen  in  the  imported 
animals  and  home-bred  foals  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Wilfrid 
Blunt,  at  Crabbet  Park.  But  it  must  always  be  remembered 
that  the  pure  Arab  has  never  been  any  use  for  racing  on  an 
English  course,  and  never  will  be.  The  English  thorough- 
bred he  helped  to  make  was  not  only  faster  than  anything 
known  in  England  before  ;  he  was  also  much  better  than 
anything  seen  before  in  the  Eastern  home  of  the  finest  and 
purest  Arab  stock  ever  bred.  It  has  over  and  over  again 
been  proved,  since  the  eighteenth  century,  that  for  sheer 

20 


CANXOX-liONES  OF  SHIRE  HOKSE 

///  the  lin'fislt  Masctnit  of  Xiitaral  Histonj 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

pace  the  thoroughbred  can  give  the  Arab  several  stone  and 
a  beating  over  anything  up  to  two  miles  and  a  half  in  this 
country.  It  is  only  for  long  distances,  and  for  hard  work 
involving  stamina  alone  on  a  fairly  soft  surface,  that  the 
pure-bred  Arab  may  still  be  useful.  It  has  also  been  incon- 
testably  proved  that  modern  thoroughbred  stock  cannot 
possibly  be  improved  by  the  direct  infusion  of  fresh  blood 
from  a  pure-bred  Arab  sire.  So  soon,  indeed,  was  this  last 
point  discovered  that  he  has  been  left  alone  by  all  racing 
men  in  his  native  deserts  almost  since  the  days  oi  Mate  hem, 
Herod,  and  Eclipse.  Writing  in  1827,  Mr.  Nicholas 
Hanckey  Smith  says  in  his  "Observations"  that  "from 
about  the  year  1768  up  to  the  present  period  it  appears  the 
Arabian  and  foreign  stallions  have  not  been  much  resorted 
to"  ;  and  this  is  far  from  being  the  only  evidence.  If  the 
Arab  had  been  loved  for  himself  alone,  or  for  any  further 
proved  good  he  could  have  done,  a  steady  stream  of  Arabs 
would  have  begun  far  earlier  and  gone  on  increasing  up  to 
the  present  time.  But  at  a  given  moment — a  moment  which 
almost  exactly  coincides  with  the  lifetime  of  the  breeder  of 
Eclipse — a  blend  of  blood  was  achieved  which  promised 
rapid  perfection  both  in  speed  and  staying-powers.  Why 
it  was  discovered  just  then  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  Why 
no  one  else  discovered  it,  when  the  Arab  was  within  far 
easier  reach  of  other  nations,  it  is  equally  difficult  to  explain. 
Yet  I  must  try  to  indicate  some  reasons  for  a  phenomenon 
which  remains  so  true  that  all  the  best  racing  stock  in  the 
world  to-day  is  descended  not  from  the  Arab  directly,  but 
through  the  English  thoroughbred. 

The  Arabs  themselves  trace  the  pedigree  of  their  horses 
through  the  mares,  and  not  through  the  stallions,  as  with 
us  ;  and  this  reminds  me  that  in  any  description  of  the  state 
of  English  racing-stock  from  1618  to  1710  it  would  be  most 
unfair  to  give  the  whole  credit  for  future  improvement  to 
the  Markhani  Arabian  and  the  Darley  Arabian  alone. 
Indeed,  the  difference  in  the  value  of  the  results  produced 
by  these  two  sires  may  very  possibly  be  largely  explained 
by  the  fact  that  in  the  interval  between  the  dates  of  their 

21 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

arrival  Charles  II.  had  sent  Sir  John  Fenwick  to  the  Levant 
and  imported  the  first  mares  ever  seen  in  this  country  which 
are  even  likely  to  have  been  of  pure  Arabian  origin.  An 
Arab  will  rarely  part  with  a  blood-mare  even  when  he  is 
starving.  "  Equam  memento  rebus  in  arduis  Servare  "  has 
been  his  motto,  as  it  was  Lord  North's  when  that  witty 
minister  heard  his  son  had  sold  the  whole  stud  farm.  Sires 
had  been  comparatively  easy  to  import,  but  mares,  even  of 
the  Turk  or  Barb  persuasion,  were  always  most  difficult  to 
get ;  and  in  the  case  of  the  Keheilan  of  the  Anazah  tribes,  I 
should  think  them  so  hard  to  obtain  that  more  evidence  is 
necessary  to  convince  me  that  any  reached  England.  Still, 
one  or  two  may  have  done  so,  considering  the  royal  master 
who  had  sent  Sir  John  ;  and  at  any  rate  the  mares  of  less 
exalted  breeds  would  probably  be  much  better  than  the 
stallions. 

However  that  may  be,  the  Royal  Mares  (as  they  are 
called)  which  appear  so  frequently  in  Eclipse's  pedigree,  no 
doubt  had  a  great  deal  to  say  in  the  making  of  his  excel- 
lence ;  and  the  debt  which  future  historians  will  owe  to 
Messrs.  Bruce  Lowe  and  William  Allison  is  that  they  were 
the  first  to  lay  special  stress  on  the  early  mares  recorded 
to  be  Eastern,  and  to  calculate  their  value  on  a  basis  of 
the  winners  and  sires  that  can  be  traced  to  them  from  the 
present  day  right  back.  I  believe  the  horse  usually  called 
the  Godolphin  Arabian  was  actually  a  Barb,  and  when  the 
difficulty  of  getting  pure  Arab  mares  is  properly  taken  into 
account,  it  will  be  better  understood  why  so  many  of  these 
early  matrons  were  actually  Barbs.  The  authors  just 
mentioned  have  calculated  that  if  the  results  of  all  the 
races  for  the  One  Thousand,  Two  Thousand,  Derby,  Oaks, 
St.  Leger,  Ascot  Cup,  Goodwood  Cup  and  Doncaster  Cup 
be  all  calculated  together,  98  winners  can  trace  their 
pedigree  in  direct  female  line  to  Mr.  Tregonwell's  Natural 
Barb  mare,  81  to  Burton's  Barb  mare,  85  to  Mr.  Bowes' 
Byerly  Turk  mare,  who  was  dam  of  the  two  True  Blues, 
66  to  the  Layton  Barb  mare  and  53  to  the  daughter  of 
Massey's  Black  Barb,  who  was  granddam  of  Old  Ebony. 

22 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

In  the  first  of  these  families  the  percentage  of  winners 
to  runners,  in  a  branch  that  has  not  been  the  most  prolific, 
is  so  high  that  its  vitality  may  be  said  to  be  particularly 
marked,  and  among  the  ten  Derby  winners  it  can  claim, 
who  are  also  descended  from  Eclipse  in  the  male  line,  are 
IVaxy  Pope  (1809),  Whalebone  (1810),  Whisker  (18 15), 
Cossack  (1847),  Lord  Lyon  (1866),  Blue  Gown  (1868),  Silvio 
(1877),  Bend  Or  (1880),  Ladas  (1894),  and  Jeddah  (1898). 
Of  these  Silvio  and  Lord  Lyon  also  won  the  St.  Leger. 
Of  other  Derby  winners  also  descending  in  female  line 
from  Tregonvvell's  Natural  Barb  mare,  through  Sir  W. 
Ramsden's  Byerly  Turk  mare,  who  was  her  great-grand- 
daughter, are  four  tracing  in  male  line  to  Herod,  namely, 
RJiadamanthus  (1790),  Daedalus  (1794),  Middleton  (1825), 
and  Bay  Middleton  (1836),  the  last  of  whom  was  the  sire 
of  Flying  Dutchman  (Derby  and  St.  Leger  1849),  and 
Andover  (Derby  1854).  The  only  descendant  of  Matcheni 
in  the  same  list  is  Tiresias  (18 19). 

I  need  only  add  that  of  the  winners  who  trace  both  to 
this  mare  and  to  Eclipse,  Whalebone  was  also  sire  of 
Caroline  (Oaks  1820),  Lapdog  (Derby  1826),  Spafiiel  (Derby 
1 831)  and  Moses  (Derby  1832) ;  but  the  latter  has  also  been 
claimed  as  a  son  of  Seymour.  Whisker  is  another,  and  he 
was  sire  of  two  St.  Leger  winners  in  Memnon  (1825)  and 
Colonel  (1828).  Cossack  is  a  third,  for  he  was  sire  of 
Gamester  (St.  Leger  1859).  Lord  Lyon  is  a  fourth,  being 
sire  of  Placida  and  Minting ;  and  Bend  Or  closes  this  little 
list  of  specially  bred  animals,  renowned  both  as  performers 
and  sires,  for  he  was  the  sire  of  Ormonde,  which  is  enough 
for  any  one. 

Some  theories  attribute  Eclipses  excellence  almost  wholly 
to  the  Darley  Arabian;  others  almost  wholly  to  the  Royal 
Mares  ;  but  as  I  have  already  indicated,  I  should  consider 
these  as  only  two  potent  factors  in  a  very  remarkable  blend. 
To  my  mind  they  by  no  means  exclude  a  third,  and  that 
is  the  English  cross-bred  already  in  existence.  Horses 
saturated  with  Southern  blood  had  existed  in  these  islands 
from  the  days  of  the  Roman  occupation  onwards,  and  the 

23 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

excellent  English  hunters  spoken  of  before  1618,  no  doubt 
derived  their  blood  from  the  Turkish  and  Barb  impor- 
tations so  common  in  the  sixteenth  century  ;  and  though 
the  Darley  Arabian  himself  was  undoubtedly  a  better  sire 
than  either  the  Godolphin  Barb  or  the  Byerly  Turk  ;  though 
he  was  greatly  assisted  by  his  predecessors,  the  Markham 
Arabian,  and  the  Royal  Mares ;  yet  I  still  venture  to 
describe  Eclipse  as  the  result  of  a  very  fortunate  mixture  of 
the  Eastern  animal,  improved  by  residence  in  this  climate, 
with  the  English  animal  who  had  already  reached  a  very 
considerable  value  before  the  results  of  such  unions  had 
been  scientifically  appreciated. 

Let  us  see  if  there  is  any  confirmation  for  this  in  a 
closer  examination  of  Eclipses  pedigree,  apart  from  his 
descent  as  great-great-grandson  in  direct  line  of  the  Darley 
Arabian.  Taking  the  Southern  strains  first,  Sqtiirt  goes 
back  (through  his  dam)  to  the  Lister  Turk,  who  also  gave 
much  (through  Coneyskins  and  Blackleg's  daughter)  to 
Marske,  besides  being  the  great-great-grandsire  of  Spiletta. 
The  Eastern  and  Southern  strains  in  this  glorious  co-opera- 
tion may  be  summed  up  concisely  as  follows  :  Lister  Tnrk 
(5),  UArcy  Yellow  Ttirk  (5),  DArcy  IVhite  Turk  (5), 
Helmsley  Turk  (2),  Byerly  Turk,  Oglethorpe  Arabian, 
Pulleines  Arabian,  Ancaster  Turk,  St.  Victor  Barb, 
Fenwick  Barb,  Huttons  Grey  Barb,  Huttons  Bay  Barb, 
Godolphin  Barb,  and  various  "  Royal  Mares,"  who  are 
usually  supposed  to  have  been  of  pure  Eastern  blood.  It 
should  also  be  noted  that  through  his  sire,  Marske,  he 
inherited  the  blood  of  that  Bustler  mare  who  was  fourth 
dam  of  the  Coneyskitis  mare  on  p.  7  of  the  General  Stud 
Book,  vol.  i.,  from  whose  family  came  Orville,  Sultan, 
Newfninster,  Ayrshire  and  St.  Serf.  Through  his  dam, 
Spiletta,  Eclipse  traced  back  to  that  Royal  Mare  from 
whom  came  the  Montagu  mare,  on  p.  13  of  the  same 
volume,  in  whose  line  occur  Saltrani,  Voltaire,  Weatherbit, 
Adventurer,  Sterling  and  Springfield.  Regulus,  maternal 
grandsire  of  Eclipse,  is  descended  from  the  Ledbury  Royal 
Mare  who  was  the  dam  of  Miss  DArcy's  Pet  Mare,  (p.  15, 

24 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

op.  cit),  in  whose  line  are  Ornie,  Birdcatcher,  Royal 
Hampton  and  St.  Simon.  But  it  is  when  we  turn  to 
those  factors  which  cannot  be  proved  to  be  Eastern  or 
Southern  at  all  that  we  reach  the  really  interesting  result 
about  Rclipse. 

What  an  Arabian  purist  would  call  the  "  flaws  "  begin  as 
far  back  as  the  Barley  Arabians  grandson,  for  Squirt,  the 
son  of  Bartletfs  Childers,  was  out  of  the  sister  to  Old 
Country  IVench,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Snake  and  Grey 
IVilkes,  and  there  is  no  record  either  of  Snakes  granddam 
or  of  Miss  DArcys  Pet  mare,  the  dam  of  Grey  IVilkes; 
though  it  may  be  considered  as  certain  that  if  their  pedigree 
had  been  Eastern  it  would  have  been  specifically  so  stated. 
Again,  the  maternal  grandsire  of  Marske  was  Blacklegs, 
whose  dam  was  by  Coneyskins  out  of  the  Old  Clubfoot 
Mare,  and  though  the  sires  of  these  two  were  the  Lister 
Turk  and  Hautboy  respectively,  neither  of  their  dams  is 
traceable.  It  should  be  further  remembered  that  what  has 
just  been  said  with  regard  to  the  gtrvQ^Xogy  oi  Marske  holds 
equally  good  in  the  case  of  Spiletta,  in  so  far  as  Snake  and 
the  sister  to  Old  Country  IVench  occur  in  her  pedigree 
as  well. 

It  is  most  improbable  that,  if  any  of  the  mares  I  have 
described  as  "  unknown  "  had  really  been  of  Eastern,  or  even 
Southern,  descent,  the  fact  would  not  have  been  mentioned, 
especially  as  so  many  well-known  cases  are  authenticated  in 
which  precisely  that  fact  of  origin  has  been  most  carefully 
preserved.  That  the  fact  of  their  being  "  unknown  "  does 
not  militate  against  their  excellence  is  clear  enough  from 
the  typical  example  of  the  Vintner  Mare,  owned  by 
Mr.  Curwen,  of  Workington,  early  in  the  seventeenth 
century.  Now  Mr.  Crofts  has  left  a  valuable  memorandum 
about  this  very  mare,  whom  he  saw  race,  to  the  effect  that 
she  was  a  brood  mare  before  she  raced,  and  was  the  best 
bred  as  well  as  the  best  racer  of  her  day  in  the  North.  It 
is  not  likely  that  he  would  have  omitted  the  important  fact 
of  Eastern  descent  could  it  have  been  proved.  It  is  clear 
to  me  that  she  was  exactly  the  kind  of  breed  of  which  I 

25 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

have  already  spoken,  the  English  animal  improved  by  such 
casual  Southern  importations  as  were  habitual  in  the 
Lovvther  stud.  Her  excellence,  at  any  rate,  is  beyond 
question  ;  from  her  are  descended,  in  direct  female  line, 
Partner,  Crab,  Soldier,  Mtiley  Moloch,  Niitwith,  Bendigo, 
Tertius,  and  many  other  winners  down  to  Kilwarlin 
(St.  Leger,  1887). 

If  the  pedigree  of  Eclipse  be  compared  with  that  of 
Herod,  or  of  Matchem,  it  shows  another  interesting  point 
in  support  of  the  theory  I  venture  to  advance,  entirely 
apart  from  any  intrinsic  excellence  of  the  Darky  Arabians 
blood  over  the  Godolphin  Barb's,  or  the  Byerly  Turk's; 
for  it  will  be  seen  that  Matchem  has  the  most  Eastern 
blood  of  any  of  the  three,  while  Herod  has  considerably 
less  than  either  of  his  rivals.  Neither  of  these  were  such 
good  racehorses  as  Eclipse,  and  he  has  long  ago  established 
his  predominance  over  both  as  a  sire ;  indeed,  I  am  tempted 
to  conclude,  if  this  predominance  is  referable  to  the  exact 
blend  of  his  blood,  that  Herod  vjsis  less  successful  because 
he  had  too  much  of  the  cross-bred  strain  and  not  suffi- 
cient Eastern  ;  but  that  Matchem  was  far  the  least  suc- 
cessful of  all  because  there  was  too  much  Eastern  blood  in 
him,  and  it  had  not  been  sufficiently  strengthened  by  the 
English  breed  produced  in  the  manner  I  have  already 
several  times  described. 

But  apart  from  any  arguments  based  on  mares,  it  is 
worth  noting  that  almost  the  only  theory  in  horse-breeding 
which  every  one  must  admit  to-day  is  the  predominance  of 
Eclipseh\oo6.  on  the  modern  turf;  and  there  is  the  still  more 
extraordinary  fact  that  (as  will  be  seen  from  the  tables 
in  my  Appendix)  all  the  Derby  winners  except  four,  from 
the  institution  of  the  race  until  now,  trace  in  direct  male 
line  to  Eclipse,  to  Herod,  or  to  Matchem  ;  and  out  of  these 
four  exceptions,  two  trace  to  the  sire  and  the  paternal 
grandsire  of  Eclipse,  these  being  Sir  Thomas  (1788)  and 
Assassin  (1782)  respectively.  The  remaining  two  out  of 
the  four  exceptions  named  are  Lord  Clermont's  Aimwell 
(1785),  who  traces  to  Spectator  and  Crab,  and  Lord  Egre- 

26 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

mont's  Hannibal  (1804),  who  traces  to  Trent  ham  and 
Sweepstakes.  These  exceptions  show,  I  think,  that 
Matcheni,  Herod,  and  Eclipse  were  not  merely  used 
because  they  were  "  fashionable."  They  asserted  a  vital 
superiority  owing  to  natural  causes  that  were  far  more 
lasting ;  and  the  supremacy,  among  these  three,  of  the  one 
line  of  Eclipse  is  a  still  more  telling  example  of  "the  sur- 
vival of  the  fittest,"  though  biologists  would  hardly  agree 
with  me  if  I  spoke  of  the  breeding  which  produced  it  as 
"  natural  selection." 

It  is  to  Science,  however,  that  I  must  perforce  leave  the 
explanation  of  the  strange  truth  that  out  of  all  the  Derby 
winners  tracing  to  the  three  sires  named,  Matcheni  can 
only  claim  3,  Herod  only  35,  and  Eclipse  no  less  than  82. 
This,  again,  was  by  no  means  due  to  mere  "  fashion  ;"  for 
in  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  Derby  Herod  had  20  winners 
to  Eclipse  s  23,  which  might  well  be  taken  to  be  a  merely 
accidental  inferiority ;  but  in  the  next  fifty  years  Herod  idiWs 
to  15  and  Eclipse  claims  33,  which  is  far  more  suggestive  ; 
and  in  the  last  twenty-seven  years  Herod  drops  out  alto- 
gether and  Eclipse  blood  wins  every  time  save  one,  which 
fairly  clinches  the  argument.  For  half  a  century,  in  fact, 
Eclipse  and  Herod  started  fairly  level  as  far  as  stud  chances 
were  concerned,  and  did  almost  equally  well ;  but  after  that 
the  Eclipse  line  began  to  strengthen  its  position  so  enor- 
mously that  at  last  it  carried  all  before  it,  with  the  single 
exception  of  Sir  Vistds  score  for  Matcheni  in  1895. 
Matchem's  other  winners,  it  may  be  added,  are  Didelot 
(1796),  Smolensko  (1813),  Tiresias  {iSig),  West  Australian 
(1853),  and  Blink  Bonny  (1857). 

The  tables  in  the  Appendix,  in  which  all  this  is  set  out, 
should  provide  a  trustworthy  test  of  the  value  of  the  blood  for 
all  those  who  would  agree  that,  taking  one  season  with  another, 
the  Derby  winner  is  the  best  of  his  year.  Instances  here 
and  there  will  occur  to  every  one  in  which  this  has  obviously 
not  been  the  case.  But  the  generalisation  holds  good  if 
it  is  made  for  the  whole  records  of  the  race,  and  the 
choice  of  any  other  animal  would  invariably  lead  to  argu- 

27 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

ment  that  would  be  as  unending  as  it  is  unprofitable.  The 
value  of  the  Derby,  not  only  to  thoroughbred-stock  but  to 
hunting  and  to  the  army,  is  enough  to  make  the  race  a 
national  asset  of  more  importance  than  sport  alone  might 
(in  some  minds)  justify.  The  most  famous  trotting  families 
in  America  began  with  Diomed,  the  first  Derby  winner. 
France  and  Germany,  through  such  sires  as  Flying  Fox  or 
Galtee  Move  and  Ard  Patrick,  draw  their  best  blood  from 
the  same  source.  When  our  own  colonies  take  our  best 
horses  and  send  back  their  sons,  the  value  of  the  change  of 
climate  is  stamped  for  all  time  on  such  a  sire  as  Carbine, 
when  his  son  Spearinint  wins  the  classic  race. 

Spearmint  (the  Derby  winner  of  1906)  is  an  excellent 
example  to  bring  us  back  to  the  value  of  Eclipse,  for  to  the 
son  of  Marske  and  Spiletta  he  traces  in  direct  male  descent, 
though  by  an  unusual  line ;  being  by  Carbine,  by  Musket, 
by  Toxophilite,  by  Longbow,  by  Ithuriel,  by  Touchstone,  by 
Camel,  by  Whalebone,  by  Waxy,  by  PotSos,  by  Eclipse; 
and  the  point  of  this  is  that  Lord  Clifden  and  Hermit  had 
hitherto  been  the  two  sons  of  Touchstone  who  had  chiefly 
strengthened  his  branch  of  the  Eclipse  line ;  whereas  new 
life  has  been  infused  into  the  Ithuriel  family  by  the  impor- 
tation from  Australia  of  such  sires  as  Carbine,  whose  value 
is  now  proved  by  Spearminfs  success ;  but  whether  that 
value  is  due  (as  I  believe)  to  the  transportation  of  stock  to 
the  limestone  pastures  of  Australia,  I  must  leave  more 
learned  biologists  and  men  of  science  to  decide. 

Let  me  add,  before  continuing,  that  Spearmint  is  by 
Carbine  out  of  Maid  of  the  Mint,  by  Minting  out  of  Warble 
by  Skylark ;  and  that  SirTatton  Sykes  bought  Maid  of  the 
Mint  from  Sir  James  Duke  (who  bred  her)  when  she  was 
already  in  foal  to  Carbine.  Major  Loder  bought  Spearmint 
as  a  yearling  for  only  300  guineas  ;  and  it  is  most  interesting 
to  note  that  the  Touchstone  blood  he  so  worthily  represents 
is  also  represented  in  successful  steeplechasing  sires  like 
Trenton  (through  Ithuriel),  Hackler  (through  Petrarch  and 
Newminster),  and  Timothy,  Britannic  and  Ascetic  (through 
Hermit  and  Newminster).     It  would,  indeed,  be  difficult  to 

28 


KEND  Ol; 
From  the  paintinff  by  E.  Adam  tn  the  possrssinti  i*/  the   /)u/:e  of  IJ'estmiuster  at  Kafon 


SKULL  UF  BEXD  OK 
//(  //ie  Drifish  Museum  of  Xatural  Histcrij 


ARABIAN  AND  THOROUGHBRED 

find  any  better  steeplechasing  sire  than  Ascetic  in  all  the 
records  of  the  sport  ;  and  though  the  strain  could  be  traced 
out  in  other  lines,  this  will  be  a  quite  sufficiently  striking 
example  of  the  way  in  which  Eclipse  blood  has  shown  its 
potency  not  merely  on  the  flat,  but  in  steeplechasing  as 
well ;  and  soldiers  will  remember  that  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton's famous  Waterloo  horse,  Copenhagen,  was  by  Meteor, 
a  son  of  Eclipse.  The  Army  has  had  many  another  share 
since  then. 

As  I  have  spoken  of  the  value  of  Tonchstone  blood,  a 
curious  detail  is  worth  noting  here  about  his  skeleton,  which 
is  carefully  preserved  at  Eaton.  It  has  an  extra  rib  in 
addition  to  the  eighteen  usually  seen  ;  and  it  is  a  posterior 
rib,  as  Youatt  pointed  out  was  customary  in  cases  where  the 
additional  bone  is  found.  Touchstone  certainly  went  very 
wide  behind,  and  threw  his  hind  legs  very  much  as  is 
described  oi  Eclipse ;  but  his  extra  rib  seems  to  have  been 
rather  a  help  than  otherwise,  and  I  am  not  aware  how  he 
became  possessed  of  it  or  whether  it  was  transmitted  to  any 
of  his  descendants.  Scientific  inquirers  have  satisfied  them- 
selves that  horses  whose  ancestors  have  long  been  bred  in 
Ireland  are  nearly  always  distinguished  for  their  great 
development  of  bone,  and  for  their  clean,  flat,  hard  legs. 
In  spite  of  their  proverbial  ill-luck  in  the  St.  Leger,  recent 
events  on  the  English  Turf  have  attracted  great  attention 
to  the  suitability  of  Ireland  as  a  breeding  place  for  thorough- 
breds. Whether  it  will  eventually  give  them  an  extra  rib 
or  not  I  do  not  know,  but  the  good  effect  of  Irish  climate 
on  bone  is  established.  In  fact,  good  horses  are  heard  of  in 
Ireland  before  they  appear  in  English  records.  This  is  not 
merely  a  matter  of  blood.  It  may  largely  depend  on  the 
Irish  limestone  subsoil,  to  the  excellence  of  which  Sir  Walter 
Gilbey  has  often  drawn  attention  ;  and  if  he  is  correct,  the 
very  interesting  fact  of  the  improvement  of  Ithuriel  blood 
by  the  residence  of  Carbine  and  Musket  in  Australia  may 
very  possibly  be  referred  to  the  value  of  Australia's  limestone 
pastures. 

No  other  country  has  ever  shown  the  improvement  in 

29 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

imported  English  thoroughbred  stock  which  has  been  shown 
in  Ireland  and  Australia;  and,  of  course,  the  value  of  Ire- 
land has  been  discovered  far  more  certainly,  and  for  a  much 
longer  time,  than  in  the  case  of  Australia.  This  may  be 
because  it  is  damper.  I  can  only  think  of  the  fact  of  rain 
and  grass  being  plentiful  in  these  islands  as  a  real  reason 
for  our  being  able  not  only  to  breed  the  first  fast  horses  for 
the  Turf,  but  also  to  go  on  breeding  the  best  horses,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  other  countries  enjoyed  facilities  precisely 
similar  in  every  point  except  climate.  Some  countries  are 
definitely  known  to  be  bad  for  breeding ;  and  a  mediaeval 
Persian,  quoted  by  Professor  Ridgeway,  expresses  his 
astonishment  at  the  birth  of  a  young  elephant  in  Teheran 
by  exclaiming  that  "  never  till  then  had  a  she  elephant 
borne  young  in  Iran,  any  more  than  a  lioness  inRoum,  a  tabby 
cat  in  China,  or  a  mare  in  India."  Captain  Hayes  always 
said  that  Indian  stock  could  never  be  kept  up  even  at  the 
present  day  but  for  constant  importations.  Breeding  there 
is  still  as  precarious  as  Marco  Polo  found  it  long  before. 
The  whole  question  of  wild  animals  breeding  in  captivity  is 
full  of  interest,  and  has  no  doubt  considerable  bearing  on 
the  breeding  of  Arab  stock,  whether  pure  or  crossed  with 
other  blood.  Some  countries  suit  it  not  at  all ;  other 
countries  suit  it  even  better  than  its  ancestral  Najd.  Among 
these  last  England  may  most  happily  be  numbered,  and  she 
stands  apparently  alone  with  Ireland. 

That  climate  helped  to  produce  Eclipse  is  certain.  But 
how  delicate  was  the  combination  of  complicated  factors 
necessary  for  his  perfection  may  be  gathered  from  the 
curious  fact  that  another  colt  [Hyperion,  later  Garrick),  bred 
by  the  same  sire  out  of  the  same  dam,  turned  out  compara- 
tively useless.  It  is  therefore  possible  that  the  year  when 
Marske  was  mated  to  Spiletta  was  itself  propitious  ;  and  it 
may  certainly  be  significant  that  their  famous  colt  was 
named  after  the  sympathetic  disturbance  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  which  took  place  at  his  birth  in  the  Home  Park  of 
our  English  Kings. 

30 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   DUKE    OF   CUMBERLAND   AND   THE    ENGLISH 
TURF   IN   THE   LAST   HALF   OF   THE   EIGHTEENTH 

CENTURY 

Numquld  praehebis  equo  fortitud'mem  ?  .  .   .  procul  odoratur  helium 
exhortatlonem  ducum,  et  ululatum  exercitus 

English  Life  from  1745  to  1765 — Its  Strength  and  Colour  in  Literature, 
Politics  and  Art — "  The  Duke  " — Marshall  Saxe — Fontenoy — "  Damn  my 
Commission  !  " — The  English  Infantry — Culloden — Ranger  of  Windsor 
Park — Too  much  Politics — Gambling  and  Racing — The  Jockey  Club — 
Gentlemen  Riders — Exclusive  Membership — Mr.  D'Arcy  Hutton  and 
Yorkshire  Racing. 

W  ^CLIPSE  was  born  in  1764,  and  died  in  1789  ;  and  it 
At  would  be  difificult  to  pick  out  twenty-five  years  in 
-* — '  the  whole  history  of  the  Turf  which  were  more 
important  for  the  future  development  of  racing,  and  more 
pregnant  with  those  possibilities  which  resulted  in  the 
supremacy  of  the  English  Thoroughbred  as  the  best  horse 
in  the  world.  That  development  was  due  not  only  to 
certain  fortunate  accidents  in  breeding,  which  even  the 
keenest  of  modern  biologists  is  unable  wholly  to  explain, 
but  also  to  the  fact  that  these  occurrences  took  place  in 
various  racing  studs  in  England  at  a  moment  when  English 
Society  was  peculiarly  fitted  to  take  advantage  of  them, 
owing  to  conditions  of  life  and  manners  which  had  never 
been  seen  before  and  are  never  likely  to  be  reproduced 
again. 

There  are  many  wonderful  things  about  Eclipse,  and 

31 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

not  the  least  extraordinary  is  a  persistence  of  his  excellent 
qualities  in  the  blood  of  his  descendants  which  implies  that 
the  gratitude  of  owners  in  1906  to  the  breeders  of  1764  is 
no  vain  sentiment.  The  fifty  years  from  about  1745 
onwards  will  therefore  be  the  legitimate  object  of  our  early 
inquiries  in  any  consideration  of  the  real  meaning  and 
value  of  Eclipses  life. 

There  must  have  been  some  prodigious  spirit  of 
fecundity  in  the  air  during  that  full-blooded  period  ;  and 
Eclipse  s  pre-eminence  in  the  life-history  of  the  horse  is 
but  a  reflection  of  the  enormous  store  of  vital  energy  that 
seems  to  have  animated  and  transfused  the  whole  field  of 
human  activity  in  England  and  elsewhere  during  that 
fruitful  epoch.  I  am  not  aware  that  any  other  animal, 
except  the  champion  hound  at  Peterborough,  can  furnish  a 
tenth  part  of  the  accurate  knowledge  as  to  the  ramifications 
of  descent  and  ancestry  which  is  the  common  property  of 
the  English  public  concerning  the  horse  which  wins  the 
Derby.  Certainly  very  few  human  beings  can  trace  their 
pedigrees  back  to  so  many  generations  without  a  possibility 
of  error,  and  fewer  still  are  the  men  whose  upbringing  and 
education  has  either  cost  so  much  or  brought  so  widespread 
and  satisfactory  a  return  as  may  be  observed  in  a  first-rate 
and  successful  thoroughbred.  We  know  all  this  well 
enough  nowadays,  even  if  we  rarely  realise  it ;  but  it  is 
only  possible  for  us  at  all  because  the  racing  men  of  1750 
saw  their  opportunity  and  took  it,  with  a  whole-heartedness 
that  does  as  much  credit  to  their  foresight  as  to  their 
sportsmanship  and  courage. 

They  were  not  men  who  were  on  the  Turf  for  what  they 
could  make  out  of  it.  The  gallant  splendours  of  the 
Restoration  had  been  shortlived,  and  occasionally 
unsavoury ;  but  they  set  a  fashion  that  never  faded  among 
a  certain  set,  the  set  which  went  racing  because  it  went 
everywhere,  and  raced  hard  because  they  lived  hard  every 
minute  of  their  lives.  No  big  fortunes  had  hitherto  been 
made  on  the  Turf.  The  gains  of  a  Tregonwell  Frampton 
would  not  have  proved  attractive  to  men  who  were  utterly 

32 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

disinclined  to  use  Tregonwell  Frampton's  means  of  making 
them.  The  men  of  1750  betted  on  horses  because  they 
betted  on  everything,  and  they  soon  found  that  as  an 
instrument  of  gambling  the  racehorse  was  admirably  suited 
to  their  inclinations.  Their  passion  for  mere  wagering  was 
no  doubt  occasionally  purified  by  the  nobility  of  the 
animal  which  was  its  chief  occasion.  But  we  must  not 
credit  them  with  too  high  motives.  They  cared  little  for 
biology,  and  they  knew  less.  Each  meant  to  have  a  better 
horse  than  his  neighbour,  and  they  were  as  astonishingly 
in  earnest  about  getting  it  as  they  were  about  every  other 
form  of  gentlemanly  dissipation. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  a  more  exhilarating 
atmosphere  than  that  of  England  in  those  days  for  a  man  of 
rank  and  fortune.  The  keenness  of  his  enjoyment,  and  his 
thorough  zest  in  life,  are  reflected  in  well-nigh  every  form 
of  his  activity  that  we  can  still  admire.  It  was  the  age  in 
which  the  influence  of  Samuel  Johnson  appropriately 
recalls  the  most  typically  English  characteristics  of  all 
our  men  of  letters,  with  the  brilliant  circle  of  his  friends 
from  Edmund  Burke  to  Fanny  Burney.  Fielding's  last 
years  just  reached  it.  Sterne  wrote  his  "Tristram  Shandy" 
for  its  somewhat  bewildered  roysterers.  Richardson  and 
Smollett  were  its  novelists.  "  She  Stoops  to  Conquer " 
revealed  the  wit  of  Goldsmith,  and  gave  promise  of  the 
brilliancy  of  Sheridan  so  soon  to  come.  Horace  Walpole 
was  delicately  chafiing  his  contemporaries.  Junius  was 
mercilessly  scourging  their  shortcomings. 

In  politics  the  great  names  of  William  Pitt,  of  Fox,  of 
Burke,  were  in  the  mouths  of  all  men.  Those  were  the 
days  when  Lord  Rockingham  could  win  the  St.  Leger  or 
form  a  Ministry  with  equal  enthusiasm ;  when  Lord  North 
and  Wilkes  and  Thurlow  were  making  their  mark  deep 
in  English  history.  Under  the  personal  command  of 
George  II.,  Dettingen  was  won,  and  under  his  son,  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland,  the  English  infantry  had  given  the 
first  taste  of  their  terrible  quality  in  the  defeat  of  Fontenoy. 
The  string  of  victories  at  Minden,   Lagos,  Quiberon  Bay, 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Guadaloupe,  Ticonderoga  and  Quebec,  the  genius  of  Wolfe 
and  Clive,  the  great  siege  of  Gibraltar,  held  by  Elliott,  the 
heroic  sea-fights  of  Anson,  Boscawen,  Hawke  and  Rodney, 
had  lent  their  various  lustre  to  the  English  flag.  Art  had 
its  full  share  in  this  outburst  of  prolific  energy.  Upon  the 
canvases  of  Reynolds,  Gainsborough  and  Romney,  its 
great  men  and  its  lovely  women  are  immortalised.  In  the 
very  year  before  Eclipse  first  raced  upon  the  English  Turf 
the  first  meeting  of  the  Royal  Academy  was  held.  Before 
the  century  was  finished  the  English  across  the  Atlantic  had 
made  themselves  into  a  new  nation,  and  the  French  across 
the  Channel  had  marched  through  rapine  and  slaughter  to 
the  disintegration  of  their  ancient  forms  of  government. 
The  whole  earth  seemed  groaning  and  travailing  with  new 
births  ;  and  the  population  of  England,  so  infinitely  less  in 
numbers  than  it  is  to-day,  seemed  infinitely  more  full  of  all 
that  sturdy  and  robust  enthusiasm  which  needs  a  fresher 
air  and  greater  space  for  its  expansion  than  our  anaemic 
crowds  can  ever  claim  again. 

The  art  and  literature  of  the  time  faithfully  reflect  the 
politics  and  life  of  which  they  were  so  gorgeous  a  develop- 
ment. The  world  seemed  made  for  the  enjoyment  of  that 
brilliant  aristocracy  which  had  reached  the  culminating 
zenith  of  its  vigour.  Strongly  entrenched  within  limits  of 
its  own  devising,  the  best  society  could  be  absolutely 
reckless  both  in  thought  and  speech  ;  for  every  one  knew 
everybody  else,  and  every  shot  went  home.  Numerous 
enough  to  argue  that  their  own  desires  were  the  best 
interests  of  the  State,  yet  privileged  enough  to  get  the  best 
of  everything,  its  soldiers,  writers,  politicians,  racing  men 
held  an  opinion  of  themselves  which  is  inconceivable  in 
days  when  money  counts  for  more  than  blood,  and  when 
the  most  desirable  acquaintance  is  he  who  makes  the  fewest 
errors.  Without  any  immediate  necessity  for  making  its 
living,  society  was  content  to  gamble  for  it ;  and  philosophic 
foreigners  might  well  have  imagined  that  this  fair  realm  of 
England  was  little  better  than  a  vast  casino  from  one  end 
of  the  country  to  the  other. 

34 


Til  10   DIKE  OF  CUMBEKLAM) 

llni  drr  of  Kt'lip^ie 


SAVOED  AXD  BATON  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  CUMBERLAND 

Pi-eserred  at  Cumberland  Lodye,  in   IVhidsor  Great  Park 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

Among  the  best  of  them,  the  breeder  of  Eclipse,  the 
owner  of  almost  the  finest  racing  stud  in  England,  held  a 
characteristic  position  that  is  significant  of  much.  William 
Augustus,  Baron  of  Alderney,  Viscount  Trematon,  Earl  of 
Kensington,  Marquis  of  Berkhamstead,  and  Duke  of 
Cumberland  was  the  third  son  of  George  II.  (then  Prince 
of  Wales)  by  Caroline,  the  daughter  of  John  Frederic, 
Margrave  of  Brandenburg  Anspach.  He  was  born  in 
Leicester  House,  at  the  north-east  corner  of  Leicester 
Square,  whither  George  I.'s  son  had  gone  from  St.  James's 
Palace  after  the  quarrel  with  his  father  ;  and  in  July  1726 
he  was  made  the  first  Knight  Commander  of  the  Bath  on 
the  revival  of  the  order,  receiving  the  Garter  four  years 
afterwards.  Since  the  death  of  Queen  Anne,  whose  horses 
were  winning  on  the  course  at  York  on  the  very  day  she 
expired,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  the  first  member  of 
the  Royal  Family  to  distinguish  himself  in  what  was  to  take 
the  lead  in  all  English  sports  for  many  a  year  to  come  ;  and 
in  this  he  foreshadowed  not  merely  the  somewhat  spasmodic 
successes  of  George  IV.,  as  Prince  of  Wales,  but  the  more 
lasting  and  meritorious  triumphs  of  our  present  King 
Edward  VII.,  the  owner  oi  Persimmon. 

The  Duke,  as  he  was  known  in  Horace  Walpole's  set, 
just  as  Wellington  and  no  other  was  "  the  Duke"  of  later 
days,  has  been  misunderstood  and  misrepresented  for  far 
too  long,  and  it  is  high  time  that  a  more  general  appre- 
ciation of  his  real  merits  should  take  the  place  of  ill-founded 
and  prejudiced  abuse.  He  soon  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  navy  was  no  profession  for  an  active  man,  after  lying 
windbound  for  several  weeks  in  the  English  Channel  at  the 
beginning  of  an  expedition;  and  in  1740  he  became  a 
Colonel  in  the  Coldstreams,  attaining  the  rank  of  Major- 
General  when  he  came  of  age.  There  was  not  much 
waiting  about  in  the  army  in  those  days,  and  by  the  next 
year  he  had  received  a  ball  through  the  calf  of  his  leg 
(which  troubled  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life)  in  the  first  line 
of  the  infantry  at  Dettingen.  In  1744-5  he  was  the  first 
soldier   since    the    great     Marlborough    to   be   appointed 

35 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Captain-General  of  the  British  land  forces  at  home  and  in 
the  field,  and  the  comparison  suggested  is  perhaps  unfortu- 
nate ;  for,  without  the  genius  of  the  conqueror  of  Ramillies 
and  Blenheim,  he  had  to  meet  a  foe'worthy  of  Marlborough's 
own  masterly  generalship  ;  and  all  his  undoubted  personal 
courage  could  not  quite  fill  up  the  fatal  gap. 

The  name  of  Marshal  Saxe  was  chiefly  known  to  racing 
men  in  England,  not  only  because  he  was  the  natural  son 
of  the  lovely  Aurora  Konigsmarck,  sister  of  the  murderer 
of  poor  Tom  Thynne,  but  also  because  he  once  hurled  an 
insolent  scavenger  into  his  own  muck-cart  on  the  road  to 
Newmarket.  On  the  steps  of  a  throne,  yet  separated  from 
it  by  an  impassable  gulf,  Maurice  de  Saxe  showed  all  the 
bold  and  enterprising  ambition  so  often  associated  with  the 
bar  sinister,  and  combined  great  physical  resources  with  the 
subtle  intellect  of  the  dreamer,  and  the  sound  knowledge  of 
a  trained  general.  The  young  English  Duke,  so  suddenly 
called  upon  to  oppose  the  flower  of  the  French  army  under 
one  of  its  greatest  leaders,  had  little  to  depend  upon  save 
his  own  intrepid  valour  and  his  constant  belief  in  the  bull- 
dog staunchness  of  the  British  infantry  when  led  by  men 
they  trusted  and  fed  with  regularity.  Steadfast,  honest  and 
just,  it  was  recognised  that  he  was  unsparing  both  of  his 
soldiers'  lives  and  of  his  own  efforts  for  their  welfare.  His 
general  orders  resemble  those  of  Wellington's  in  their 
burning  intolerance  of  faults  in  discipline  or  loyalty  ;  in 
their  full-mouthed  appreciation  of  the  faithful  soldier  ;  and 
though  his  military  career  was  short  and  far  from  fortunate 
he  had  lasting  claims  upon  the  gratitude  of  Englishmen  for 
his  large  share  in  forming  that  incomparable  infantry  which 
is  the  backbone  of  our  military  strength. 

This  is  no  place  to  tell  again  the  oft-told  tale  of 
Fontenoy.  But  there  are  a  few  incidents  typical  alike  of 
the  hard  brutality  of  that  age  and  of  its  inexhaustibly 
reckless  courage.  The  Duke  was  fortunate  in  having  so 
useful  (and  so  different)  a  friend  beside  him  as  John 
Ligonier,  the  courtly  and  valiant  Huguenot,  who  had 
fought  all  through  Marlborough's  battles,  and  who  made 

36 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

the  yth'  Dragoon  Guards  the  most  efficient  regiment  in  the 
cavalry.  There  were  blunders  in  the  strategy  and  tactics 
of  Fontenoy  ;  but  there  was  some  glorious  fighting,  and  it 
was  one  of  the  most  murderous  battles  of  the  murderous 
eighteenth  century.  A  dragoon  in  Ligonier's,  after  losing 
his  charger,  carried  a  firelock  with  the  Royal  Welsh 
Fusiliers,  and  fought,  under  the  Duke's  eyes,  in  his  jack- 
boots all  day  long.  A  private  of  the  Black  Watch  slew 
nine  Frenchmen  with  his  broadsword,  and  the  Duke  saw 
his  arm  carried  off  by  a  round  shot  while  he  was  attacking 
the  tenth.  The  same  spirit  animated  all  ranks.  When  Sir 
Robert  Munro  was  parading  his  men  at  dawn,  he  observed 
their  chaplain  in  the  ranks  with  a  drawn  broadsword,  and 
ordered  him  back  on  pain  of  losing  his  commission. 
"  Damn  my  commission  !  "  shouted  the  militant  churchman, 
and  fought  in  the  front  rank  all  day.  It  was  the  Black 
Watch  again,  who,  when  the  Duke  marked  his  appreciation 
of  their  services  by  bidding  the  men  ask  any  favour  they 
pleased,  begged  for  a  free  pardon  for  two  of  their  comrades 
who  were  to  be  flogged  for  letting  some  French  prisoners 
escape.  Saxe,  himself,  confessed  that  he  had  no  infantry 
who  could  push  into  open  ground  in  the  teeth  of  a  great 
body  of  cavalry  without  being  once  shaken  by  charges  or 
once  relaxing  their  discharge  of  musketry. 

In  these  sombre  days,  when  one  khaki-clad  army  rarely 
sees  its  foes  at  all  throughout  a  long  engagement,  we  can 
scarcely  imagine  the  splendour  of  the  old  scarlet  lines  glit- 
tering with  flags.  "  We  are  the  English  Guards,"  shouted 
Lord  Charles  Hay,  as  his  battalion  emerged  on  the  ridge 
crowned  by  the  Redoubt  d'Eu  and  held  by  the  French 
Household  Infantry,  "and  we  hope  you  will  stand  till  we 
come  up  to  you,"  and  his  men  gave  three  cheers  with  a  will. 
The  Due  de  Brion,  the  Comte  d'Anterroches,  and  other 
French  officers  hurried  to  the  front,  saluted,  and  called  for 
counter  cheers  ;  they  were  given  in  a  dazed  way,  and  the 
French  volley  rang  out.  While  the  smoke  cleared  away 
our  majors  were  seen  coolly  levelling  the  men's  pieces  with 
their  spontoons.     Then  they  poured  in  so  terrible  a  hail  of 

37 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

lead  that  the  entire  front  rank  of  the  French  was  swept 
away,  and  700  men  lay  on  the  field  wounded  or  dead.  The 
huge  English  square  remained  invincible  till  every  available 
French  cannon  was  brought  up  and  cut  lanes  through  its 
solid  mass  with  grape-shot ;  and  at  the  crucial  moment 
Saxe  poured  in  his  whole  strength  upon  the  reeling  mass. 
Retreat  was  inevitable.  The  Duke  exposed  his  life  freely 
in  rallying  scattered  units.  Ligonier  arranged  the  with- 
drawal with  the  greatest  skill.  We  lost  7,500  officers  and 
men.  Even  Voltaire  confesses  that  the  French  casualties 
were  over  seven  thousand. 

One  immediate  consequence  of  Fontenoy  was  Prince 
Charles  Edward's  attempt  to  oust  the  Hanoverian  dynasty. 
At  Culloden  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  crushed  it  with 
appalling  thoroughness.  "  I  had  much  rather,"  he  told  the 
regiments  just  before  the  action,  "  be  at  the  head  of  one 
thousand  brave  and  resolute  men  than  ten  thousand  among 
whom  there  are  some  who,  by  cowardice  or  misbehaviour, 
may  dispirit  or  disorder  the  troops."  The  battle  began  at 
one  on  the  afternoon  of  April  16,  1746,  and  was  over  in  an 
hour.  The  Highlanders  were  beaten,  and  on  both  sides  the 
motto  of  the  fight  was  "  Vae  Victis."  Lord  George  Murray 
had  issued  a  general  order,  under  Prince  Charles  Edward's 
instructions,  "to  give  no  quarter  to  the  Elector's  troops  on 
any  account  whatsoever."  The  spirit  of  the  times  was  not  in 
favour  of  weak  measures,  and  the  humanitarian  doctrines, 
which  preferred  three  years  of  protracted  misery  to  one 
short  and  sharp  campaign,  had  not  yet  proved  acceptable. 
By  filial  affection,  by  dynastic  interest,  by  his  characteristic 
fury  at  all  forms  of  insubordination,  the  Duke  was  un- 
doubtedly inclined  towards  severity ;  and  he  was  naturally 
blamed  for  much  barbarity  consequent  on  the  rebels'  defeat 
for  which  he  was  not  responsible.  Like  .Cromwell  in  Ire- 
land, he  was  convinced  that  "  mild  measures  won't  do ; " 
and  he  was  far  from  mild.  His  discipline  was  as  stern  to 
friends  as  foes.  "  It  is  H.R.H.  orders,"  he  wrote  on 
April  19  at  Inverness,  "that  no  man  go  above  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  out  of  camp,  several  outrages  and  disorders  having 

38 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

been  committed  which  he  will  not  permit  on  any  account." 
When  his  own  men  disobeyed  he  ordered  them  "  1200 
lashes  at  the  head  of  each  brigade  at  five  different  times 
for  marauding  and  stealing  of  meal,"  a  horrible  punish- 
ment, to  which  the  fate  of  many  a  Highlander  was  pre- 
ferable. War  is  a  terrible  business,  and  civil  war  is  its 
worst  form.  But  it  was  not  till  the  political  party  opposed 
to  his  influence  was  using  every  dirty  card  in  the  pack  that 
"the  Duke"  was  called  "the  Butcher." 

At  first  he  was  hailed  as  his  country's  saviour.  In 
after  years  he  used  good-humouredly  to  set  the  exaggerated 
praise  he  received  for  Culloden  against  the  exaggerated 
blame  he  got  for  Kloster  Seven,  and  thought  he  had 
secured  rough  justice  after  all.  In  1746  all  England  was 
in  a  blaze  of  loyalty.  By  next  spring  Horace  Walpole 
was  writing  to  H.  S.  Conway,  who  was  in  Flanders  with 
the  Duke :  "I  observed  how  the  Duke's  head  had 
succeeded  almost  universally  to  Admiral  Vernon's,  as  his 
head  left  but  few  traces  of  the  Duke  of  Ormond's."  A 
more  permanent  record  of  enthusiasm  was  the  change 
of  the  name  of  Tyburn  Gate  to  Cumberland  Gate,  in 
Hyde  Park. 

"I  must  own,"  wrote  the  conqueror  of  Culloden,  "that 
you  have  hit  my  weak  side  when  you  say  the  honour  of  our 
troops  is  restored.  That  pleases  beyond  all  other  honours 
done  me."  His  men  knew  it,  as  they  always  understand  a 
leader  who  loves  them  ;  and  they  had  barely  wiped  their 
sabres  on  the  heather  before  they  were  shouting,  "  Now, 
Billy,  for  Flanders  !  "  He  had  a  short  interval  at  home 
before  going  abroad  again.  Part  of  it  he  spent  in 
arranging  details  of  dress  and  discipline  in  the  army,  for- 
bidding that  any  posts  should  be  applied  for  except  through 
himself.  Part  of  it  he  spent  at  Windsor,  where  "  he  goes 
to  races,"  writes  one  of  Walpole's  friends,  "  and  they  make 
a  ring  about  him  as  at  bear-baiting."  Besides  other  rewards, 
including  grants  of  money,  colonelcies,  chancellorships,  and 
oratorios,  he  was  made  Ranger  of  Windsor  Great  Park 
on  July   12,   1745,  where,  nineteen   years    afterwards,  his 

39 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

fame  as  a  breeder  of  thoroughbreds  was  to  be  imperishably 
connected  with  Eclipse. 

In  1747  he  was  in  the  Low  Countries  again,  and  Marshal 
Saxe  was  again  too  much  for  him.  That  July  Walpole  was 
writing  to  Sir  Horace  Mann  that  "the  Duke  was  very 
nearly  taken,  having,  through  his  short  sight,  mistaken  a 
body  of  French  for  his  own  people.  He  behaved  as  bravely 
as  usual,  but  his  prowess  is  so  well  established  that  it  grows 
time  for  him  to  exert  other  qualities  of  a  general."  By 
1748  the  Duke  was  back  in  England,  living  sometimes  at 
Cumberland  Lodge,  in  Windsor  Park,  and  sometimes  at 
Cranbourne  Lodge,  close  to  the  paddock  where  Eclipse  was 
to  be  born  later  on,  and  where  it  may  be  suspected  he  spent 
some  of  the  most  contented  hours  of  his  life. 

The  death  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  removed  certain 
elements  of  jealous  opposition ;  but  the  refusal  of  the 
Regency  (should  such  a  post  be  necessary)  mortified  the 
Duke,  and  he  cannot  have  been  happy  in  politics,  even 
with  the  friendship  of  Sandwich,  Albemarle,  Bedford  and 
Henry  Fox ;  for  Newcastle  was  against  him,  and  Pitt  was 
with  the  Princess  of  Wales.  But  the  Duke  loved  a  good 
fighter.  "  I  don't  know  him,"  he  wrote  once,  "  but  by  what 
you  tell  me  Pitt  is  what  is  scarce,  he  is  a  man."  Many 
absurd  accusations  were  made  about  the  Duke's  using  mili- 
tary power  to  usurp  his  brother's  rights  ;  but  the  King  knew 
better.  "  He  has  a  head  to  guide,  to  rule,  and  to  direct," 
said  George  II.,  and  made  him  one  of  the  Lords  Justices 
while  the  King  himself  was  in  Hanover. 

Gossiping  Horace  gives  us  a  few  pleasant  sidelights  on 
the  sporting  side  of  the  Duke's  character  about  this  time. 
At  the  Richmond  Fireworks,  for  instance  (May  1749), 
"  the  Duke  had  the  music  into  the  garden  and  himself, 
with  my  Lady  Lincoln,  Mrs.  Pitt,  Peggy  Banks  and  Lord 
Holdernesse,  entertained  the  good  subjects  with  singing 
'  God  save  the  King '  to  them  over  the  rails  of  the  terrace." 
There  was  cricket  at  Richmond,  too,  and  it  is  a  noteworthy 
coincidence  that  the  "Star  and  Garter"  in  Pall  Mall,  where 
the  Jockey  Club  held  its  first  meetings  in  1752,  was  also  the 

40 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

scene  of  a  revisal  of  "  the  laws  of  cricket  "  in  1774.  Lord 
Mountford  was  an  enthusiastic  pioneer,  if  Walpole  be 
correct  in  telling  us  of  his  "making  cricket  matches  and 
fetching  up  parsons  by  express  (in  1749)  from  different 
parts  of  England  to  play  on  Richmond  Green ;  of  his 
keeping  aides-de-camp  to  ride  to  all  parts  to  lay  bets  for 
him  at  horseraces,  and  of  twenty  other  peculiarities." 
The  fact  is  that  there  was  more  gambling  going  on  than 
has  ever  been  the  case  before  or  since.  I  must  not 
digress  too  much  on  other  forms  of  sport,  or  I  should  like 
to  speak  of  the  Duke's  patronage  of  prize-fighting,  and 
especially  of  Broughton,  whose  name  has  so  often  been 
connected  with  early  records  of  Doggett's  Coat  and  Badge, 
as  well  as  with  the  old  P.  R.  But  typical  examples  must 
be  here  sufficient.  Horace  is  again  our  authority  for  a 
significant  little  hunting-scene  (Jan.  1750):  "As  the  Duke 
has  taken  a  turn  of  gaming.  Sandwich,  to  make  his  court — 
and  fortune — carries  a  box  and  dice  in  his  pocket,  and  so 
they  throw  a  main  whenever  the  hounds  are  at  fault,  upon 
every  green  hill  and  under  every  green  tree."  A  year  or 
two  later,  the  same  excellent  correspondent,  who  has  far 
too  little  (for  my  own  taste)  to  say  about  racing,  speaks  of 
"  Newmarket,  where  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  is  at  present 
making  a  campaign,  with  half  the  nobility  and  half  the 
money  of  England  attending  him,  they  really  say  that  not 
less  than  a  hundred  thousand  pounds  have  been  carried 
thither  for  the  hazard  of  this  single  week.  The  palace  has 
been  furnished  for  him." 

"The  palace"  is  probably  "Palace  House,"  where 
Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild  lives  to-day  when  he  actively 
carries  on  those  great  family  traditions  on  the  Turf  which 
his  own  successes  have  done  so  much  to  illustrate. 
Beneath  the  level  of  the  present  entrance  you  may  still  see 
the  arches  Evelyn  admired,  and  the  great  iron-studded 
door  that  opened  for  the  jovial  courtiers  of  Charles  II.  In 
1753,  the  date  of  the  last  letter  I  quoted,  the  Jockey  Club 
had  already  been  for  twelve  months  the  tenants  of 
Mr.   Errall,  in  a  "  Coffee- Room  "  at  Newmarket,  and  the 

41 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

first  public  mention  of  the  new  association,  which  is  to  be 
found  in  Mr.  John  Pond's  "  Sporting  Kalendar,"  evidently 
presupposes  its  familiarity  to  his  readers,  for  he  makes  the 
simple  announcement  for  1752  of  "a  contribution  free 
plate  by  horses  the  property  of  noblemen  and  gentlemen 
belonging  to  the  Jockey  Club,"  and  by  the  May  Meeting  of 
1753  two  "Jockey  Club  Plates"  were  being  regularly  run 
for.  The  list  of  members  revealed  by  these  and  similar 
races  run  for  between  this  year  and  1773,  the  date  when 
the  "  Racing  Calendar "  Avas  first  produced  by  James 
Weatherby,  "  Keeper  of  the  Matchbook,"  gives  a  very 
significant  indication  of  the  aims  and  purposes  of  a  club 
whose  actual  foundation  has  escaped  the  vigilance  of  all 
subsequent  historians. 

Man  had  discovered  he  was  a  sociable  animal  in  the 
reign  of  Queen  Anne ;  and  the  Clubs  of  the  early  Georges 
were  but  the  logical  consequence  of  the  friendly  but  less 
formal  meeting-places  of  Steele  and  Addison.  Racing 
men  who  met  each  other  at  White's  or  Brooks's  were 
naturally  inclined  to  reproduce  in  Newmarket  the  advan- 
tages they  had  enjoyed  in  St.  James's.  On  the  Turf, 
indeed,  in  those  early  days,  the  necessity  for  some  form  of 
union  was  but  a  prudent  course  of  self-defence  under 
conditions  far  more  open  to  the  incursion  of  "  the 
undesirable "  than  was  any  house  near  Piccadilly.  The 
indifference  to  racing  which  distinguished  the  throne  after 
the  death  of  Oueen  Anne  made  it  even  more  essential  to 
reproduce  those  social  safeguards  which  had  existed  under 
the  Stuarts,  when  Sir  John  Carleton  had  the  Royal 
authority  to  remove  undesirable  persons  from  "  those 
places  which  the  King  reserves  for  his  own  sport."  The 
briefest  reference  to  the  archives  of  Charles  II.,  when 
the  State-papers  are  as  full  of  racing  as  they  are  of 
diplomacy,  will  establish  the  important  fact  that  he  not 
only  went  to  Newmarket  to  look  on,  but  also  to  ride  his 
own  horses,  which  the  Duke  of  York  and  the  Duke  of 
Monmouth  did  as  well.  It  is  therefore  most  probable  that 
some  informal    arrangement    had    long   existed    by  which 

42 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

appropriate  "jockeys"  were  provided  to  ride  against  such 
illustrious  owners ;  and  the  pleasant  habit  was  not  likely 
to  die  out  when  such  capital  horsemen  existed  as  the 
Duke  of  Queensberry,  the  Duke  of  Hamilton,  the  Duke  of 
Grafton,  Lord  Wilton,  Sir  Henry  Featherstonhaugh,  Mr. 
Brand,  Mr.  Jenison,  Mr.  Shafto  and  many  more.  It  is 
certain,  at  any  rate,  that  for  the  first  few  years  of  the  Jockey 
Club  "Cup"  or  "  Plate  "  or  "Subscription,"  owners  rode 
their  own  horses.  With  their  presence  the  accepted  tradi- 
tions about  keeping  the  course  clear  of  unwelcome  intruders 
would  naturally  survive  in  their  full  strength  ;  and 
neither  authority  nor  precedent  would  be  wanting,  in  case 
of  awkward  questions,  when  the  details  of  so  much  racing 
could  be  referred  to  among  the  National  Records.  It  is,  at 
any  rate,  possible  to  discover  both  an  origin  and  a  justifi- 
cation for  the  Jockey  Club  in  Royal  racing ;  and  it  is 
significant  that  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  among  its 
earliest  adherents,  and  that  it  has  never  been  without  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Family  upon  its  rolls  from  that  day 
to  this. 

Far  more  important  objects  than  the  merely  formal 
details  of  organisation  at  Newmarket  soon  emerged  as  the 
Club  grew  in  strength  and  realised  the  personality  and 
powers  of  an  association  of  men  of  wealth  and  distinction 
animated  by  a  common  love  of  sport.  It  seems,  indeed,  as 
if  the  machinery  of  the  Turf  had  been  just  got  into  working 
order  in  time  to  make  the  best  use  of  the  greatest  horse 
ever  bred  in  this  or  in  any  other  country.  The  twenty- 
five  years  of  Eclipses  life  just  coincide  with  the  all- 
important  years  of  the  Jockey  Club's  expansion,  and  with 
the  dates  when  those  classical  races  (the  Derby,  Oaks  and 
St.  Leger)  were  founded  to  set  the  seal  of  the  highest 
racing  honours  on  Eclipses  descendants  for  six  score 
years  and  more  to  come.  For  the  breeding  of  bloodstock 
became  the  greatest  bond  of  union  between  the  sportsmen 
of  the  North  and  South  who  met  in  the  Jockey  Club,  and 
the  proceedings  of  that  organisation  became  more  and 
more  influential  in    every  form  of   racing  just  at  a  time 

43 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

when  England  was  ripe  for  the  crystallisation  of  the 
numerous  efforts  towards  sport  of  every  kind  that  were 
visible  all  over  the  country.  Based  upon  such  traditions, 
founded  upon  respect  for  precedent  in  obedience  to  the 
dictates  of  experience,  the  power  of  the  Club  grew  slowly 
but  strongly  wherever  racing  was  beloved.  Its  rulings 
were  quoted,  its  decisions  were  accepted.  The  gradual 
development  of  its  importance  and  possessions  at  New- 
market followed  the  lines  of  equity  and  common  sense  so 
carefully  that  the  "  warning-off,"  once  sufficiently  established 
by  Royal  precedent,  was  by  1827  legally  recognised  in  the 
case  of  the  Duke  of  Portland  v.  Hawkins,  when  a  man  to 
whom  they  objected  was  successfully  proceeded  against 
for  trespass  on  the  freehold  property  of  the  Club. 

Whatever  criticisms  might  be  prompted  by  the  envy  of 
such  successful  outsiders  as,  I  fear,  Colonel  O'Kelly,  the 
constitution  of  the  Club  cannot  fairly  be  called  in  question. 
They  rightly  determined  to  raise  at  least  one  barrier  which 
wealth  alone  could  not  surmount ;  and  if  their  composition 
in  these  early  days  be  analysed  it  will  be  found  that  their 
members  were  chiefly  drawn  from  both  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment and  from  all  the  great  owners  of  the  best  thoroughbred 
stock  which  is  now  the  foundation  of  the  English  Stud 
Book.  It  is  enough  to  say  that,  at  one  time  or  another, 
the  owners  of  Matcheni,  Herod  and  Eclipse  were  all 
members  of  the  Jockey  Club  ;  and  it  is  the  chief  distinction 
of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  racing  career  that  to  him 
belonged  Herod  and  Eclipse,  two  out  of  those  three  great 
sires  from  whom  all  our  racehorses  have  since  descended, 
and  that  he  owned  Eclipse  s  sire  and  dam,  and  the  dam  of 
Herod  as  well.  No  man  can  fairly  be  said  to  have  done 
more  for  English  Racing. 

In  1752  the  race,  in  which  I  detect  the  beginnings  of 
the  Jockey  Club,  was  won  by  Sir  John  Moore,  who  beat 
Captain  Vernon,  Lord  Byron  and  Lord  Chedworth,  owners 
up.  The  Jockey  Club  vindicated  its  name  once  more  in 
the  same  way  when  Captain  Vernon  won  again  (R.C.  I2st., 
best  of  three  four-mile  heats)  in  1754,  against  Lord  March, 

44 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

Lord  Orford,  Mr.  Mitchell  and  Mr.  Shafto,  with  owners  up 
as  before.  On  that  same  day  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
won  the  first  race  I  can  find  to  his  name  at  Newmarket, 
against  Lord  Gower's  colt  by  Shock  (8st.  gibs.,  4  miles  over 
the  B.C.  for  300  guineas)  with  his  famous  brown  horse 
Marske,  which  he  bought  from  that  celebrated  Yorkshire 
squire,  Mr.  John  D'Arcy  Hutton,  from  whose  estate,  near 
Richmond,  this  hardy  son  of  Squirt  was  named.  His 
great-grandsire,  on  the  dam's  side,  was  Hutton  s  Bay  Barb 
(imported),  and  further  back  in  his  pedigree  occur  the 
names  of  the  UArcy  Yellow  Turk,  the  UArcy  White 
Turk,  Miss  UArcy  s  Pet  Mare,  Huttoiis  Grey  Barb,  and 
Hutton  s  Royal  colt.  So  the  Yorkshire  family,  which  still 
owns  the  same  estate,  has  a  very  large  share  in  the 
breeding  of  the  most  famous  thoroughbred  of  all  time,  for 
Marske  was  sire  of  Eclipse.  The  Marske  stables  have  a 
fine  record  in  the  early  years  of  the  Chester  Cup  ;  and  in 
Yorkshire  races,  of  which  details  are  preserved  in  Orton's 
"Turf  Annals,"  the  name  of  Mr.  Hutton  occurs  very 
frequently  between  1742  and  1770,  in  which  latter  year 
Eclipse  appeared  at  York.  I  find  it,  for  instance,  at  York 
in  1 742  (gr.  h.  Hussar  and  gr.  h.  Phantom  by  Hobgoblin) ; 
York,  1743;  York,  1744  (ch.  c.  Partnership  hy  Partner); 
York,  1745  (b.  h.  IVormwood  by  Blacklegs);  York,  1746, 
winner  of  the  ^^50  plate  for  four-year-olds  (gr.  c.  Merry  man 
by  Spot);  Malton,  1747,  winner  of  His  Majesty's  100 
guineas  for  five-year-old  mares  (b.  Mab  by  Hobgoblin) ; 
York,  1749  (gr.  h.  Peeper);  Hambleton,  1754  (ch.  m.  by 
Mogul);  York,  1754  (b.  h.  Steady  by  Spot);  York,  1755, 
winner  of  a  sweepstakes  of  500  guineas,  for  five-year-olds  at 
9st.,  4  miles  (ch.  m.  Stately  by  Bolton  Mogul) ;  York,  1756  ; 
York,  1757  (b.  h.  Orphan  by  Tartar,  gr.  h.  Speedwell  hy 
Spot,  b.  f.  yixen  by  Regulus  and  gr.  h.  Bustler  by  Tartar) ; 
York,  1758;  Doncaster,  1758  (gr.  c.  Careless  2.ViA  gr.  h. 
Bustler  by  Rib);  York,  1759,  winner  of  the  Great  Sub- 
scription of  ;^234  \os.  for  five-year-olds,  lost.,  4  miles 
(br.  h.  Silvio  by  Cade);  York,  1760;  Hambleton,  1761 
(b.  m.  Daphne  by  Regulus);   York,  1761   (b.  c.  by  Cade); 

45 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

York,  1762  (br.  f.  Portia  by  Regzihis);  Hambleton,  1763; 
York,  1763;  York,  1764  (b.  c.  Lofty  by  Regtihis,  b.  h. 
Foxhunter  by  Reguliis,  ch.  h.  Ranger  by  Regulus,  and  b.  c. 
Hazard  by  Devonshire  Steady). 

At  this  last  meeting,  in  August,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
made  the  only  appearance  I  can  trace  on  a  northern  race- 
course, when  the  br.  h.  Dumpling  by  Cade  (aged)  ran  last 
for  the  great  Subscription  of  ^^311  10^.  for  six-year-olds, 
8st.  7lbs.,  aged  Qst.,  4  miles,  which  was  won  by  Mr. 
Stapleton's  b.  h.  Beattfremont  by  Tartar  (6  years).  At 
York,  in  1748,  is  also  recorded  the  first  appearance  of  Lord 
March,  the  famous  Duke  of  Queensberry,  who  was  to  gain 
great  notoriety  as  "  Old  Q."  in  later  years.  He  rode  his 
own  JVhipper-in  to  victory  in  a  match  for  80  guineas  (lost.), 
4  miles,  and  was  also  in  the  saddle  when  his  br.  g.  Smoker 
won  the  Hunters  Sweepstakes  two  days  later.  At  this 
meeting  the;i^50  Plate  was  won  by  Mr.  Coatesworth's  ch.  h. 
Partner,  who  afterwards  became  famous  as  the  Duke  of 
Ancaster's  Tartar  (by  Crofts'  Partner  out  of  Meliora  by 
Fox\  the  sire  of  Herod,  and  of  O' Kelly's  famous  mare,  the 
dam  of  Volunteer,  Queen  Mab,  and  many  of  Eclipse  s  best 
descendants.  On  the  same  course,  in  1753,  Mr.  Fenwick's 
br.  h.  Matchem  (by  Cade)  won  the  Great  Subscription 
Stakes.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  John  Holme  of  Carlisle,  sold 
to  Mr.  Fenwick  of  Bywell,  and  lived  till  1781  (33  years) 
after  making  a  handsome  sum  in  stud  fees  for  his  owner. 
Here,  too,  ran  the  last  of  the  immortal  trio,  Herod  (by 
Tartar),  who  broke  a  blood-vessel  in  his  head  in  the  last 
mile  of  the  Great  Subscription  of  1766  (4  miles),  which  Bay 
Malton  (by  Sampson)  is  said  to  have  won  in  the  fast  time 
of  7  mins,  43^  sees.  At  that  time  Herod  had  passed  into 
the  possession  of  Sir  John  Moore,  after  the  Duke  of  Cum- 
berland's death,  at  the  same  sale  which  passed  Eclipse  on 
to  "the  astute  meat-salesman,"  Mr.  Wildman. 

Completing  Mr.  Hutton's  Yorkshire  racing  record  up 
to  the  year  when  Eclipse  himself  was  astonishing  the 
Tykes,  I  find  Mr.  Hutton's  name  again  at  York  in  1765  ; 
York,   1768  (b.  m.  Betty-0 !   by  Matchless)    at  the  same 

46 


ENGLISH  TURF  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

meeting  in  which  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  famous  little  grey, 
Gimcrack,  ran  for  the  Great  Subscription  ;  and  Doncaster 
1769  (ro.  h.  Navigator  by  Adolphus).  I  have  given 
Mr.  Hutton's  entries  in  some  detail  for  two  reasons :  they 
show  very  clearly  the  beginnings  of  that  friendly  rivalry 
between  North  and  South  which  the  Jockey  Club  did  so 
much  to  foster ;  and  they  reveal  a  very  curious  preference 
for  grey  horses  in  the  Marske  Stud. 


47 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

Equi  ama  tores  et  emissarii  fact'i  sunt.      Unusquisque  ad  uxor  em  proximi  sui 

hinniebat. 

A  Royal  Racing  Stable — Newmarket  in  1757 — The  Duke's  Racing  up  to 
the  week  of  his  Death — Racing  Colours  in  1762 — The  Younger  Duke  a 
different  Man — Resignation  of  Military  Duties — George  II. 's  Funeral — 
Schomberg  House — The  Duke's  Death — His  Papers  destroyed — Lord 
Rockingham — The  Duke  of  Queensberry — Charles  James  Fox — Results  of 
a  Wager — Defeat  of  the  Government — ^'■Equant  memento  .  .  .  " — Lady 
Sarah  Lennox — Gimcrack — Lord  Grosvenor — Lady  Susan  O'Brien — The 
Reverse  side  of  the  Picture. 

IN  the  last  chapter  I  spoke  of  the  victory  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland's  Marske  at  Newmarket  in  1754.  It  is 
obvious  from  Walpole's  Letters  that  he  had  raced  there 
a  good  deal  before ;  but  before  the  foundation  of  the 
Jockey  Club  the  records  are  both  scanty  and  uncertain.  In 
1755,  however,  it  is  certain  that  Lord  Sandwich  got  back  a 
little  of  those  loyal  losses  to  which  Horace  referred  by  the 
victory  of  his  Snap  over  Marske,  for  1000  guineas,  over 
four  miles  of  the  Beacon  Course  at  lost.  in  April,  and  by 
repeating  exactly  the  same  performance  in  May  for  the 
same  bet.  It  will  be  convenient  to  add  here  examples 
of  other  races  in  which  the  Duke  took  part  from  this  time 
until  his  death  in  October  1765.  Queen  Anne's  horses 
were  winning  in  Yorkshire  on  the  day  of  her  death,  and 
news  of  George  IV.'s  favourites  were  brought  to  him  from 
the  course  as  he  lay  dying  ;  so  it  is  well  in  accordance  with 
royal  traditions  that  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  should  have 

48 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

raced  at  Newmarket  up  to  within  the  last  week  of  his  life ; 
and  it  is  only  natural  that  we  should  find  him  owning  such 
capital  animals  as  Ditnipling  and  Dapper  (by  Cade),  Dori- 
niondi^y  Dormouse),  Star,  Cato  (by  Regulus),  Miss  Windsor, 
Miss  Godolphin,  Milksop  (by  Crab),  Herod,  and  many  more. 
The  entries  which  follow  will  all  refer  to  Newmarket  unless 
otherwise  stated. 

In  April  1757  the  Duke's  colt  by  the  Ciillen  Arabian 
was  last  in  a  match  for  600  guineas  (8st.  B.C.)  against  Lord 
Orford  and  Lord  Granby  ;  and  another  black  colt  of  his  was 
beaten  under  the  same  conditions  by  a  bay  son  of  the 
Godolphin  Arabian,  belonging  to  Mr.  Panton.  In  May  he 
lost  another  match  of  500  guineas  (gst.  B.C.)  to  Lord  Rock- 
ingham, who  ran  a  bay  son  of  Regulus  called  Remus.  In 
1758  he  was  again  rather  unlucky,  for  he  only  won  one 
match.  Lord  Granby  beat  him  in  the  sweepstakes  of  1200 
guineas  (4  years,  gst.,  R.C.),  and  he  also  lost  500  guineas  to 
Lord  Gower,  the  same  to  Lord  Portmore,  and  1000  guineas 
to  Lord  Rockingham,  all  in  matches  over  the  Beacon  Course 
in  the  spring.  His  only  consolation,  in  October,  was  beat- 
ing the  Duke  of  Bridgewater's  b.  h.  Cracker  with  his  black 
Moro  (9st.,  B.C.,  500  guineas).  In  1759  his  bay  filly  Sylvia 
(by  the  Godolphin  Arabian)  and  his  Rib  were  both  beaten  ; 
but  he  won  with  Moro,  who  gave  Lord  Marsh's  Rose  ist.  4lbs. 
over  four  miles  for  500  guineas,  and  with  Dapper,  who 
received  i61bs.  from  Lord  Gower's  Shock,  over  the  Beacon 
Course  for  the  same  amount.  Moro  tried  Rose  again  with 
a  pound  less  difference,  and  was  beaten. 

In  1760  the  Duke  won  with  a  Regulus  colt  against  Sir 
James  Lowther  (Qst.,  B.C.,  500  guineas),  but  lost  everything 
else,  including  a  match  with  Dapper  against  Mr.  Shafto's 
Squirrel;  with  Moro  against  Lord  Gower's  Pharaoh;  with 
Jolter2ig2Jix\s\.  Lord  Bolingbroke's  Luster ;  and  with  a  Keppel 
Barb  filly  against  the  Duke  of  Devonshire's  filly  by  his 
Arabian.  All  but  the  last  were  over  the  Beacon  Course. 
In  1 76 1  his  only  victories  were  with  Cato  (by  Reguhts) 
against  Mr.  Shafto's  Alcidesi^y  Babraham,  gst.,  4  miles),  for 
1000  guineas,  and  Lord  March's  Galleni,  Bst.  7lbs.,  B.C.,  500 

49  D 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

guineas ;  but  the  same  animal  was  beaten  over  the  Beacon 
Course  by  Lord  March's  Skim  filly,  carrying  a  feather,  and 
by  the  same  owner's  Creanipot  (by  Biiffcoaf).  His  unsuc- 
cessful horses  that  year  were  a  colt  by  the  Hampton  Court 
Childers,  Dapper  (who  paid  forfeit),  and  his  colts  by  Regulus 
and  the  Keppel  Barb.  Next  year  his  Dorimond,  a  fine  bay 
by  Dormouse,  began  the  Spring  Meeting  by  beating  the 
Duke  of  Grafton's  Arab,  and  in  May  his  Horatms  (by 
Blank)  6  years,  won  a  match  against  Sir  John  Moore's  son 
of  Slouch,  and  another  against  Lord  Grosvenor's  Leeds, 
both  over  the  Beacon  Course.  But  a  colt  he  entered  for  the 
sweepstakes,  by  his  own  Arabian,  came  in  last,  and  seven 
other  of  his  horses  were  beaten  in  one  race  or  another, 
including  such  good  ones  as  Dapper  (by  Cade)  and  Dump- 
ling, who  also  lost  the  King's  Plate  at  the  First  Spring 
Meeting  of  1763,  and  a  match  for  1000  guineas  over  the 
Beacon  Course  in  October,  carrying  Qst.  against  theyst.  lolb. 
of  Lord  Rockingham's  Prospero.  But  the  Duke  certainly 
had  better  luck  this  year ;  for  Dumpling  beat  Mr.  Shafto's 
Crimp  and  son  of  Snap,  both  over  the  Beacon  Course,  for 
a  good  wager ;  and  the  Duke  also  beat  Sir  James  Lowther's 
colt  by  Wilson's  Arabian,  Lord  Gower's  sister  to  Pharaoh, 
the  Duke  of  Ancaster's  Blank  filly  (a  sweepstakes  of  500 
guineas,  over  the  Beacon  Course,  which  the  Duke  won  with 
his  famous  Tartar  filly),  Sir  James  Lowther's  colt  by  the 
Wilson  Arabian,  and  the  Duke  of  Ancaster's  colt  by  Blank. 
He  lost  with  the  Tartar  filly  (against  Lord  March)  and  the 
Regulus  colt. 

It  will  be  interesting  to  add  here  that  on  October  4 
1762  the  following  colours  were  registered  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Jockey  Club  at  Newmarket : 


H.R.H.  Duke  of  Cumberland 

.     Purple 

Duke  of  Grafton 

.     Sky  blue 

Duke  of  Devonshire   . 

.     Straw  colour 

Duke  of  Northumberland  . 

.     Yellow 

Duke  of  Kingston 

.    Crimson 

Duke  of  Ancaster 

.     Buff 

Duke  of  Bridgewater 

.     Garter  blue 

50 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 


Marquis  of  Rockingham     . 

.     Green 

Earl  of  Waldegrave    . 

.     Deep  red 

Earl  of  Orford    .        .        ,         , 

.     Purple  and  white 

Earl  of  March     .         .         .         . 

.     White 

Earl  of  Govver    . 

.     Blue 

Viscount  Bolingbroke 

.     Black 

Lord  Grosvenor 

.     Orange 

Sir  John  Moore,  Bt.  . 

.     Darkest  green 

Sir  James  Lowther,  Bt. 

.     Orange 

Mr.  R.  Vernon     . 

.     White 

Hon.  Mr.  Greville 

.     Brown  trimmed  with  yellow 

Mr.  Jenison  Shafto 

.     Pink 

No  doubt  these  were  the  most  prominent  owners  against 
whom  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  raced  all  his  life.  In  1764 
he  signalised  the  year  of  Eclipse  s  birth  by  beginning  well 
at  the  Spring  Meeting  by  winning  with  a  son  of  Young  Cade 
and  a  bay  horse  by  Tartar,  who  beat  his  brother,  owned 
by  Sir  James  Moore,  over  the  Beacon  Course.  At  Ascot 
on  June  25  that  celebrated  stallion,  King  Herod,  carried 
the  Duke's  colours  in  first  in  a  four-mile  match  against 
Lord  Rockingham's  Tom  Tinker,  8st.  ylbs.,  1000  guineas ; 
and  at  Newmarket  in  October,  where  the  first  race  was  won 
by  the  Duke's  Babrahani  filly,  which  meant  a  thousand 
guineas  out  of  Mr.  Panton's  pocket,  King  Herod  beat  the 
Duke  of  Grafton's  Antinons,  giving  him  3lbs.,  over  the 
Beacon  Course,  for  500  guineas,  the  betting  being  6  to  4  on 
Antinons.  The  only  horses  from  the  Duke's  stables  that 
lost  were  the  unlucky  Dumpling  (beaten  by  Mr.  Greville's 
Exotic)  and  \ht  Babrahani  filly.  In  1765  the  Duke's  colours 
were  seen  for  the  last  time ;  and  while  he  had  breath  left  he 
raced.  The  year  began  ominously  with  the  defeat  of  Z)«;;//- 
ling  (by  Mr.  Shafto's  Fly/ax),  Selim,  and  Favourite.  But  at 
the  May  Meeting  King  Herod,  giving  away  gibs,  this  time, 
again  beat  Antinous  over  the  B.C.  for  double  the  stakes, 
and  again  the  betting  was  7  to  4  on  the  Duke  of  Grafton's 
horse.  But  Gift  was  unsuccessful ;  apart  from  Herod s  vic- 
tory the  meeting  was  chiefly  notable  for  Lord  Bolingbroke's 
success  with  the  celebrated  Gimcrack,  5  years,  7st.  4lbs.,  over 

51 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Mr.  Panton's  Rocket,  8st.  ylbs.,  B.C.,  looo  guineas.  Giin- 
crack  won  again  in  July  against  Sir  J.  Lowther's  Ascham, 
by  Regiihts,  yst.  lolbs.  ;  but  was  beaten  in  a  match  which 
roused  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  October,  when  he  failed 
to  give  ylbs.  over  the  Beacon  Course  to  Lord  Rockingham's 
Bay  Malton.  The  excellence  of  AscJiam  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  at  the  Second  October  Meeting  he  beat 
King  Herod,  who,  it  is  true,  had  to  give  him  a  stone  over  the 
Beacon  Course,  but  even  then  started  with  3  to  i  betted  on 
him.  On  October  23,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  last  day  of 
racing,  in  the  last  week  of  his  life,  his  bay  colt  Clmidius 
lost  to  the  Duke  of  Ancaster's  Trophy,  but  his  Sultan,  by 
Regulus,  won  a  match  at  Qst.,  B.C.,  500  guineas,  against  the 
Duke  of  Bridgewater's  Boreas. 

Unfortunately  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  not  wholly 
able  to  divide  his  vigorous  enthusiasms  between  soldiering 
and  racing.  Before  his  short  life  ended  he  was  to  have  far 
more  "politics"  in  it  than  he  liked. 

It  is  as  well  to  warn  those  who  are  not  professed  his- 
torians that  many  stories  are  told  of  him  which  should 
properly  be  referred  to  a  very  different  person,  Henry 
Frederick,  Duke  of  Cumberland,  born  the  fourth  son  of 
Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  in  1771.  This  is  the  young 
reprobate  against  whom  Lord  Grosvenor  (who  was  as  un- 
lucky as  Sir  Charles  Bunbury  in  his  marital  relations)  had 
to  bring  an  action  for  criminal  conversation,  and  of  whom 
it  is  told  that  he  explained  the  attitude  of  a  high  dignitary 
of  the  Church  in  the  following  words  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Tory  peers  :  "  It's  all  right,  my  lords  ;  the  Archbishop  says 
he  will  be  damned  to  hell  if  he  doesn't  throw  out  the  bill." 
It  was  also  chiefly  due  to  this  man's  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Horton  that  the  Royal  Marriage  Act  was  passed, 
which  was  to  have  so  grave  an  influence  on  the  fortunes  of 
his  friend  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Mrs.  Fitzherbert. 

Duke  William  Augustus,  ''the  Duke,"  as  he  was  rightly 
called,  with  whom  I  am  at  present  dealing,  though  by  no 
means  immaculate,  was  a  far  finer  man  ;  for  he  was  "gentle- 
manlike without  affectation  and  accomplished  without  being 

52 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

vain."  He  took  the  praises  after  Culloden  and  the  execra- 
tion after  the  Mutiny  Act  with  equal  calmness.  He  only 
betrayed  some  feeling  when  his  name  was  omitted  from  the 
Regency  Bill.  To  the  common  people  he  was  invariably 
indifferent,  and  they  were  his  sincerest  mourners  after  he 
was  dead.  But  I  cannot  think  that  the  worries  of  Cabinet 
intrigue  were  congenial  to  him.  He  was  certainly  physi- 
cally unfitted  for  them,  and  Horace  Walpole  does  not  fail  to 
make  merry  over  the  corpulence  which  eventually  killed 
him,  and  was  largely  owing  to  the  wound  he  got  at  Det- 
tingen.  The  Duke's  nickname  among  the  smart  set  in  1754 
was  "  Nolkejumskoi,"  probably  for  the  same  ephemeral  and 
absurd  reasons  which  will  make  editors  of  our  memoirs  (in 
the  next  century)  wonder  what  polite  society  in  1905  meant 
by  their  constant  references  to  "  Little  Mary."  Horace 
mentions  the  Duke  at  a  supper  in  Bedford  House :  "  He 
was  playing  at  hazard  with  a  great  heap  of  gold  before  him. 
Somebody  said  he  looked  like  the  prodigal  son  and  the 
fatted  calf  both."  A  kinder  observation  appears  in  the 
same  correspondence  a  year  or  two  later :  "  The  humours 
that  have  fallen  upon  the  wound  in  his  leg  kept  him  lately 
from  all  exercise.  Can  one  but  pity  him  ?  .  .  .  How  he 
must  envy  his  cousin  of  Prussia,  risking  his  life  every  hour 
against  Cossacks  and  Russians." 

The  Duke  had  been  unlucky  in  the  field  ever  since 
Culloden,  and  the  fatal  spell  first  felt  at  Fontenoy  was 
exercised  again  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  the  Low  Countries 
and  Germany.  Being  sent  against  Marshal  D'Estrdes 
who  threatened  Hanover,  he  was  beaten  by  an  army  double 
as  large  as  his  own  at  Hastenbeck,  and  retired  in  good 
order.  After  this  the  King  told  Newcastle  he  should  "  get 
out  of  it ;  "  but  after  the  Duke  had  acted  on  the  Royal 
orders  and  the  Convention  of  Kloster  Seven  was  signed, 
"  Here  is  my  son,"  said  George  II.,  "who  has  ruined  me 
and  disgraced  himself."  The  Duke  was  deeply  wounded 
and  withdrew  to  Cumberland  Lodge  after  resigning  all  his 
military  offices.  Walpole  at  least  appreciated  all  that  this 
involved  ("Memoirs  of  George  II."):  "A  young  prince, 

53 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

warm,  greedy  of  military  glory,  yet  resigning  all  his 
passions  to  the  interested  dictates  of  a  father's  pleasure,  and 
then  loaded  with  the  imputation  of  having  acted  basely 
without  authority ;  hurt  with  unmerited  disgrace,  yet  never 
breaking  out  into  the  least  unguarded  expression  ;  pre- 
serving dignity  under  oppression  and  the  utmost  tenderness 
of  duty  under  the  utmost  delicacy  of  honour — this  is  an 
uncommon  picture." 

When  the  Duke  could  tear  himself  away  from  his  ruling 
passion,  the  army,  we  may  judge  how  deeply  his  father  had 
wounded  "  the  best  son  that  ever  lived." 

Three  years  afterwards  he  was  following  his  father's 
body  to  the  grave.  Walpole  gives  a  pathetic  picture  of  the 
scene  in  a  letter  to  George  Montagu  :  "  The  real  serious 
part  was  the  figure  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  heightened 
by  a  thousand  melancholy  circumstances.  He  had  a  dark 
brown  adonis  and  a  cloak  of  black  cloth  with  a  train  of  five 
yards.  Attending  the  funeral  of  a  father  could  not  be 
pleasant ;  his  leg  extremely  bad,  yet  forced  to  stand  upon 
it  near  two  hours  ;  his  face  bloated  and  distorted  with  his 
late  paralytic  stroke,  which  has  affected,  too,  one  of  his 
eyes  ;  and  placed  over  the  mouth  of  the  vault  into  which  in 
all  probability  he  must  himself  so  soon  descend  ;  think  how 
unpleasant  a  situation  !  He  bore  it  all  with  a  firm  and 
unaffected  countenance  .  .  .  sinking  with  the  heat,  he  felt 
himself  weighed  down,  and  turning  round  found  it  was 
the  Duke  of  Newcastle  standing  on  his  train  to  avoid  the 
chill  of  the  marble." 

The  Duke  gave  up  his  share  in  his  father's  bequest  to 
his  sisters,  and  took  Schomberg  House  in  Pall  Mall.  It  is 
a  curious  and  interesting  coincidence  that  H.R.H.  Prince 
Christian  of  Schleswig  Holstein,  who  now  holds  the  Duke's 
position  as  Ranger  of  Windsor  Park,  and  lives  in  Cumber- 
land Lodge,  has  also  Schomberg  House  in  Pall  Mall  for 
his  town  house,  though  his  present  residence  is  only  a  part 
of  that  large  mansion  built  in  Pall  Mall  for  the  favourite  of 
William  III.,  the  Duke  of  Schomberg,  who  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  the  Boyne  in  1690.     From  his  son-in-law,  the 

54 


THE  VOUXO  DUKE  OF  CUMRERLAXD 

Bij   Gainshorougli 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

Earl  of  Holdernesse,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  leased  it, 
and  it  then  passed  on  to  "  Beau  Astley,"  the  portrait 
painter,  who  married  the  rich  Lady  Daniell  and  set  up  the 
bas-relief  oi  "  Painting"  over  the  porch  with  the  Caryatides, 
which  was  part  of  the  old  War  Office  in  1906..  The 
symbol  was  significant ;  for  though  Dr.  Graham  desecrated 
the  site  with  "  Temples  of  Hymen  "  and  "  Celestial  Beds," 
in  1781,  in  1786  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  calling  on 
Cosway  there  (by  a  private  door  from  the  garden  of  Carlton 
House),  and  from  1774  till  1788  Gainsborough  lived  in  the 
west  wing.  Then  the  place  housed  a  "  Collection  of 
Miniatures"  which  were  finally  sold  by  lottery,  and  Tom 
Payne  the  Bookseller,  who  came  in  1806,  was  the  last 
tenant  before  the  War  Office. 

The  Duke  of  Cumberland  soon  found  that  politics  were 
thrust  upon  him.  With  the  new  King,  his  nephew,  he  was 
on  the  best  of  terms  ;  and  he  remained  a  warm  friend  to 
Lord  Albemarle,  whose  wife  he  almost  kissed  in  the 
Drawing  Room  after  the  Royal  congratulations  on  the 
victory  of  Havannah.  But  he  found  himself  obliged  to 
break  with  Fox  and  to  oppose  Bute  and  Greville,  leaning 
rather  towards  the  side  of  Pitt,  "who  is  at  least  a  man." 
His  negotiations  with  Pitt,  who  had  the  gout,  at  Hayes, 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Rockingham  Ministry, 
which  held  its  Cabinet  Councils  at  the  Duke's  new  house  in 
Upper  Grosvenor  Street.  His  health,  unfortunately,  con- 
tinued to  grow  worse.  He  held  the  candle  while  the 
surgeon  cut  out  abscesses  from  his  wounded  leg ;  and 
during  the  Newmarket  October  Meeting,  when  Herod  beat 
Antinous,  he  had  two  fits.  But  next  February  he  was 
seen  at  the  new  Assembly  Rooms  at  Almacks,  "  built  with 
hot  bricks  and  boiling  water,"  and  he  had  held  a  levde  and 
gone  to  the  opera  before  that.  On  the  last  day  of  October, 
1765,  he  died  suddenly,  from  a  clot  of  blood  on  the  brain, 
in  Lord  Albemarle's  arms,  just  as  a  Cabinet  Council  was 
about  to  be  held  in  Upper  Grosvenor  Street. 

"  His  profound  understanding,"  wrote  Walpole 
("Memoirs  of  George  III.")  "had  taught  him  to  profit  of 

55 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

his  mortifications ;  and  though  he  never  condescended  to 
make  himself  amiable  but  to  very  few,  he  became  as  much 
respected,  though  deprived  of  power,  as  if  his  heroism  had 
been  victorious.  ...  In  London  his  death  was  deeply  felt 
.  .  .  the  middling  and  lower  people  almost  universally  went 
into  the  closest  mourning  with  weepers,  and  wore  it  for  the 
whole  time  that  had  been  customary  before  the  contraction 
enjoined  in  the  late  reign." 

In  his  "  Life  of  Rockingham,"  Lord  Albemarle  records 
that  "  with  the  exception  of  a  few  letters  in  my  possession 
all  the  Duke's  papers  were  burned  "  by  the  Princess  Amelia, 
to  whom  most  were  sent.  The  Cumberland  Papers  in  the 
library  of  Windsor  Castle  refer  only  to  military  matters,  so 
that  much  that  would  be  of  interest  concerning  Eclipse  is 
unavoidably  lost.  But  the  Duke's  name  is  preserved  in 
that  Lodge  in  Windsor  Park  which  is  now  filled  with 
pictures  of  the  racehorses  he  loved  ;  and  his  memory  is 
almost  equally  cherished  upon  the  Berkshire  Downs,  where 
in  a  Manor  House  library  I  have  seen  the  old  oak  writing- 
desk,  as  solid  as  its  first  master,  in  which  the  Duke  may 
have  kept  his  racing  memoranda.  If  they  had  not  been 
long  ago  in  ashes  I  should  have  had  a  more  interesting 
tale  to  tell.  I  must  add  here,  also,  that  Cumberland  Farm 
at  Plaistow,  Essex,  still  stands  in  a  rather  dilapidated 
condition  among  fields  where  tradition  says  that  Eclipse 
was  once  stabled,  and  the  connection  is  still  further 
emphasised  by  the  names  of  Cumberland  Road  and  Eclipse 
Road  in  the  same  vicinity,  which  has  for  many  years  been 
the  property  of  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Coopers.  Into 
the  vexed  question  of  the  actual  birthplace  of  Eclipse  I 
shall  enter  in  the  next  chapter.  For  the  present  I  have 
only  to  complete  that  picture  of  the  racing  world  into 
which  Eclipse  was  born,  and  in  which  Eclipses  owner  bore 
a  brilliant  and  characteristic  part. 

This  was  a  period  when  statesmen  were  just  as  much 
in  earnest  about  racing  as  about  diplomacy ;  and  we  may 
be  sure  that  Lord  Rockingham  was  as  delighted  with  Ala- 
bacitlias  victory  at  Doncaster  in  1776  as  with  any  of  his 

56 


THE  WELL-GAT  AT  XEWMAKKET 

From  an  ciif/rnviuf/  in  flu-  lirtdsh  Mtfsium 


SHAIUCE  (BY  MARSKE  OUT  OF  A  SXAP  MAUE) 

From  fin  <ni(jrariiu(  in  ihv  possession  of  Sir    Walter  Gilhen  after  the  paintintj  by  Stnhbs 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

Ministerial  successes.  The  mare  won  the  Sweepstakes  that 
year  which  were  afterwards  to  be  known  under  the  famous 
name  of  the  St.  Leger,  and  the  rest  of  the  field  were  owned 
by  Mr.  St.  Leger  himself,  Mr.  Wentworth,  and  Mr. 
Foljambe.  It  was  the  first  stake  ever  run  for  three-year- 
olds  at  Doncaster,  and  on  its  third  renewal,  in  1778,  Lord 
Rockingham  named  it  after  the  gentleman  with  whom  it 
had  originated.  Lord  Rockingham's  name  appears  on  the 
Jockey  Club's  first  public  document,  in  1758.  He  owned 
Sampson  and  Solon,  and  beat  Cardinal  Puff  for  the  Whip 
at  Newmarket  with  Bay  Malton  in  1768.  Some  years 
before  he  was  beaten  himself  by  another  Yorkshire  member, 
Sir  Charles  Turner,  over  the  Beacon  Course  for  500  guineas  ; 
and  he  very  likely  suggested  the  name  of  Lord  Barrymore's 
Rockingham,  who  won  the  Jockey  Club  Plate  of  1788. 
Another  early  member  of  the  Club  was  the  Hon.  Richard 
Vernon,  owner  of  Woodpecker ;  and  one  of  the  few  manu- 
scripts remaining  that  refers  to  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's 
racing  is  the  memorandum  of  the  wager  Mr.  Vernon  laid  at 
Windsor,  in  June  1762,  with  the  Duke's  Dapper,  one 
four-mile  heat  against  his  own  nomination,  over  Harleydon 
Course,  at  8st.  7lbs. 

Among  the  most  original  and  eccentric  characters  who 
ever  astonished  a  racecourse,  I  suppose  "  Old  Q."  must 
easily  take  the  first  place,  as  he  usually  managed  to  do  in 
most  things  until  he  was  buried  beneath  the  high  altar  in 
St.  James's,  Piccadilly.  He  is  typical  of  the  utter  disregard 
for  public  opinion  common  in  the  aristocrat  of  that  time, 
who  knew  he  would  be  understood  by  his  own  set  and  cared 
nothing  for  anybody  else.  But  what  made  the  Duke  of 
Queensberry  peculiar,  even  in  his  young  days  as  Lord 
March,  was  not  the  persistent  pursuit  of  pleasure,  in  which 
he  only  imitated  the  majority  of  his  intimates,  but  the  cold- 
blooded reasonableness  and  hard  commonsense  with  which 
he  pursued  and  attained  his  ends  :  a  quality  which  is  rather 
r^e  in  your  merely  reckless  voluptuary.  His  coldness  was 
that  of  the  business  man,  not  of  the  selfish  profligate ;  for 
he  often  quietly  pulled  a  friend  out  of  a  financial  difficulty  ; 

57 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

and  Alcibiades  Jennings,  even  after  he  had  been  ruined  by 
gambling,  acknowledged  that  "  Queensberry  was  always 
honourable  in  his  bets,  only  he  was  a  far  better  jockey  than 
any  of  us  ;  "  and  "  Old  Q."  enjoyed  beating  a  friend  over  a 
wager  until  the  very  end  of  a  long  life,  which  lasted  till  he 
was  eighty-six,  in  1810.  His  celebrated  carriage-match  to 
run  nineteen  miles  in  sixty  minutes,  or  his  conveyance  of  a 
letter  fifty  miles  in  an  hour — which  he  managed  by  enclosing 
it  in  a  cricket-ball  that  four  and  twenty  players  threw  to 
each  other  round  a  measured  distance — and  other  feats  of  a 
more  eccentric  kind,  concerned  with  what  were  tolerantly 
called  the  "  Fine  Arts,"  have  somewhat  obscured  his  real 
racing  excellences  by  emphasising  the  extravagances  of  a 
career  that  would  be  impossible  under  modern  conditions, 
and  is  almost  incredible  even  in  his  days. 

Far  more  sympathetic  to  the  merely  human  reader  is  the 
character  of  Charles  James  Fox,  another  racing  politician 
of  this  picturesque  epoch,  who  passed  at  once,  by  right  of 
personality  and  birth  alike,  beyond  barriers  across  which 
even  Burke  and  Sheridan  never  stepped.  He  was  part  of 
the  highest  circle  from  the  first,  and  "  Charles "  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales  and  all  the  rest.  Remembering  his  extra- 
ordinary superiority  in  intellect,  you  will  realise  how  much 
this  means  ;  and  if  his  marvellous  "  genius  for  friendship  " 
is  added  to  it,  you  will  understand  still  better  what  a  man 
this  was  who  could  strain  nearly  all  his  friendships  long 
past  the  point  where  lesser  men  would  long  ago  have  lost 
them.  He  half  ruined  every  one  connected  with  him,  and 
their  love  never  lessened,  for  his  qualities  were  those  not  of 
intellect  only,  but  of  temperament  as  well.  Enjoying  to  the 
full  all  that  London  or  Paris  could  afford  ;  deep  in  a  classic, 
and  loth  to  leave  its  pages  ;  moving  the  House  of  Commons 
or  an  illiterate  mob  with  equal  triumph  ;  betting  at  Brooks's 
or  keeping  a  bank  at  Faro  at  Lord  Foley's  ;  content  either 
to  "  pot  partridges  "  or  to  go  to  Newmarket,  either  to  move  a 
resolution  against  the  Ministry  or  to  drink  claret  until  every 
one  else  was  under  the  table — much  of  it  was  unwise,  but 
"  Damme  !  it  was  Life  "  indeed  ! 

58 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

Fox  raced  as  hard  as  he  did  everything  else,  and  there 
is  a  little  sketch  of  a  few  days  out  of  his  life  at  this  time, 
which  I  have  reconstructed  from  various  sources,  to  give 
some  idea  of  what  men  could  do  in  those  days.  When  they 
slept  I  know  not. 

There  was  some  little  wager  in  St.  James's,  it  appears, 
about  a  waistcoat  which  could  only  be  procured  in  Paris. 
Off  went  Charles  in  the  middle  of  the  night  to  Dover,  caught 
the  mail-packet,  and  posted  hard  to  Paris.  On  his  return 
to  Calais  he  suddenly  remembered  that  Pyrrhus  and 
Trent/mm,  two  capital  animals  owned  by  Lord  Foley  and 
himself,  had  been  backed  to  beat  another  horse  at  New- 
market. He  leapt  into  a  fishing-smack,  steered  for  the 
Eastern  Counties,  just  got  to  Newmarket  in  time,  sent  for 
his  grooms,  and  took  up  a  good  place  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  finish.  An  eye-witness  describes  what  fol- 
lowed, and  it  must  be  remembered  that  Fox  usually  looked 
on  from  horseback.  "  He  eyed  the  horses  advancing  with 
the  most  immovable  look ;  he  breathed  quicker  as  they 
accelerated  their  pace,  and  when  they  came  opposite  to  him 
he  rode  in  at  full  speed,  whipping,  spurring,  and  blowing, 
as  if  he  would  have  infused  his  whole  soul  into  his  favourite 
racer."  The  instant  they  were  past  the  post  he  was  talking 
of  something  else,  and  as  he  posted  back  to  London  with 
his  friends  that  afternoon  they  stopped  on  the  way,  probably 
to  look  up  some  one  else  at  Hockerel.  Dinner  was  ready 
in  a  moment,  and  out  came  the  cards  after  the  port.  Minor 
considerations  about  time  and  space  had  long  ago  vanished, 
and  there  was  a  total  of  some  four  or  five  thousand  on  the 
table  as  the  sun  rose  and  they  heard  a  horse  galloping  up 
the  drive,  and  a  loud  knock  at  the  door.  It  was  a  luckless 
Special  Messenger  who  had  been  chasing  Charles  over  half 
England  to  remmd  him  that  he  was  expected  to  speak  in 
the  House  of  Commons  on  the  Bill  to  correct  the  old 
Marriage  Bill.  Fox  swept  the  empty  bottles  off  the  table, 
threw  the  dice  the  last  time  for  the  pool,  and  rushed  to  the 
stables  for  his  horse.  It  was  yet  early  on  the  Spring  morn- 
ing of  a  yth  of  April,  and  Horace  Walpole,  "curious  to 

59 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

know  what  Fox  would  do,"  went  down  to  the  House  to  find 
out.     Let  him  complete  the  picture. 

"  Fox  made  his  motion  for  leave  to  bring  in  a  Bill  to 
correct  the  old  Marriage  Bill.  Burke  made  a  fine  and  long 
oration  against  the  motion.  Charles  Fox,  who  had  been 
running  about  the  House  talking  to  different  persons  and 
scarce  listening  to  Burke,  rose  with  amazing  spirit  and 
memory,  answered  both  Lord  North  and  Burke,  ridiculed 
the  arguments  of  the  former,  and  confuted  those  of  the 
latter.  .  .  .  Burke  was  indefatigable,  learned  and  versed  in 
every  branch  of  eloquence.  Fox  was  dissipated,  idle  beyond 
measure.  He  was  that  very  morning  returned  from  New- 
market .  .  .  had  sat  up  drinking  all  night ;  and  had  not 
been  in  bed  when  he  came  to  move  this  Bill,  which  he  had 
not  even  drawn  up.  This  was  genius — almost  inspiration. 
The  House  dividing,  Lord  North  was  beaten  by  sixty-two 
to  sixty-one — a  disgraceful  event  for  a  Prime  Minister." 

When  you  come  to  remember  all  that  had  happened 
since  the  matter  of  the  silk  waistcoat,  it  is  indeed  amazing 
to  consider  how  Fox  was  able  to  wind  up  the  episode  as  he 
did.  There  is  a  blank  in  the  chronicles  after  the  Govern- 
ment defeat,  and  I  only  hope  it  means  that  some  kind 
friend  at  last  put  Charles  to  bed.  Lord  North's  misfortune 
reminds  me  that  he  is  the  author  of  one  of  the  wittiest 
things  ever  said  about  a  mare,  which  is  just  what  might  be 
expected  at  this  time.  His  son,  it  seems,  had  been  obliged 
to  sell  a  mare  owing  to  sudden  financial  difficulties.  Lord 
North  forgave  him,  but  advised  that  in  future  he  should 
always  keep  his  mares  whatever  else  he  sold.  "  Equam," 
said  the  Prime  Minister,  "  Equam  memento  rebus  in  arduis 
Servare." 

One  of  the  most  delightful  ladies  "on  the  Turf"  in 
those  days  was  Charles  James  Fox's  aunt,  who  was  about 
his  own  age.  Lady  Sarah  Lennox,  youngest  daughter  of 
the  second  Duke  of  Richmond,  was  the  most  beautiful 
woman  in  England,  and  though  the  best-known  thing  about 
her  is  that  George  HL  wanted  very  much  to  marry  her, 
she  has  even  greater  claims  to  fame  as  having  eventually 

60 


LADY  BUNBURY 

/.'//    lirifnolds 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

become  the  mother  of  the  Napiers.  But  racing  men 
remember  her  for  yet  a  third  reason,  scarcely  less  important. 
Her  first  husband  was  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  owner  of  the 
first  winner  of  the  Derby,  the  man  who  carried  on  in  the 
Jockey  Club  those  noble  traditions  of  the  Turf  which  were 
handed  on  from  Bernard  Howard,  through  him,  to  Lord 
George  Bentinck  and  to  Admiral  Rous.  I  have  mentioned 
the  wife  before  the  husband  because  Lady  Sarah's  letters, 
and  the  memoirs  of  her  life-long  friend.  Lady  Susan 
Fox-Strangeways  (whom  Reynolds  painted  with  her  and 
Charles  Fox  in  a  celebrated  picture),  give  a  most  fascinating 
insight  into  the  racing  life  of  the  time. 

"  I  must  now  tell  you,"  she  writes  in  1762  from  Barton 
to  Lady  Susan,  "  about  Newmarket,  while  it  is  in  my  head. 
The  Duke  of  Cumberland  won  two  matches  and  the  Duke  of 
Grafton  a  plate  with  a  vile  horse.  Magpie  ran,  and  was  beat. 
I  saw  him  and  his  horses  in  the  morning,  'tis  a  dear  soul  ; 
I  lost  my  money."  Ten  days  later  she  wrote  again  :  "  Lord 
Ossory  is  with  us,  and  went  to  the  Assembly,  he  is  an 
agreeable  sensible  man  and  I  like  him  vastly.  ...  I  danced 
with  Lord  Petre,  and  he  is  a  nasty  toad.  .  .  .  Pray  now, 
who  the  devil  would  not  be  happy  with  a  pretty  place,  a  good 
house,  good  horses,  greyhounds  and  fox-hunting,  so  near 
Newmarket,  what  company  we  please  in  the  house,  and 
;^2000  a  year  to  spend  ?  .  .  .  Newmarket  was  charming ; 
all  the  charming  men  were  there  (1763).  Dear  Mr.  Meynell 
lost  sums  of  money  on  a  horse  of  my  brother's,  beat  by  the 
little  mare  Hermione,  of  Mr.  Calvert ;  its  name  was 
Goodwood  and  got  by  Brilliant ;  but  I  hear  he  has  made 
up  all  his  losses  again  by  cards  at  Euston,  where  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland  and  all  the  Newmarket  folks  are  ;  he,  a  fat 
wretch,  has  won  everything  on  earth  ;  poor  dear  Mr.  Greville 
has  lost  ;  Sir  John  Moore  has  lost  near  ;i{^5ooo  between 
quinze  and  horses.  Lord  Orford  has  taken  to  hawking 
larks  .  .  .  poor  Lord  Rockingham  was  there.  .  .  .  There 
was  a  meeting  of  two  days  at  Newmarket  this  time  of  year 
(1765)  to  see  the  sweetest  little  horse  run  that  ever  was  ; 
his  name  is  Gimcrack,   he  is  delightful.     Lord   Rocking- 

61 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

ham,  the  Duke  of  Grafton  and  General  Conway  kissed 
hands  the  day  Ginicrack  ran.  I  must  say  I  was  more 
anxious  about  the  horse  than  about  the  Ministry." 

Lady  Bunbury's  sentence  reminds  me  of  the  last  great 
Turfite  of  this  time  whom  I  have  space  to  mention,  in  whom 
Horace  Walpole  notices  a  similar  preference  for  horses  to 
the  formalities  of  the  Court.  When  Sir  Richard  Grosvenor 
should  have  kissed  hands  on  the  elevation  to  a  Barony  in 
March  1761,  "he  was  gone  to  Newmarket  to  see  the  trial 
of  a  racehorse."  The  owner  of  Malton,  Gmicrack,  Sweet 
IVilHam  and  Bandy  could  perhaps  have  scarcely  done 
otherwise  ;  for  he  won  the  Derby  with  Rhadamant/ms  and 
his  own  brother  Daedalus  (a  record  that  only  King 
Edward  VI L  has  ever  equalled)  and  \N\i\i  Johtz  Btill ;  2ind 
the  Oaks  with  Faith,  Ceres,  Maid  of  the  Oaks,  Nike  and 
Bellina.  He  also  owned  PotSos,  the  best  son  of  Eclipse, 
and  to  find  anything  like  his  full  record  on  the  Turf,  you 
must  go  to  a  later  member  of  his  own  family,  the  first 
Duke  of  Westminster.  In  breeding,  Lord  Grosvenor's  only 
rivals  were  such  friends  as  Lord  Clermont,  Lord  Egremont, 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland  and  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  Avhose 
connection  by  marriage.  Lady  Susan  Fox-Strangeways 
(wife  of  O'Brien,  the  actor)  left  a  few  lively  records  of  racing 
society  between  1760  and  1818  with  which  I  will  close  this 
abbreviated  view  of  the  Turf  to  which  Eclipse  was  born. 

Few  are  better  qualified  to  give  a  hint  from  behind  the 
scenes  than  the  lady  who  heard  Charles  Fox's  "  C'est  ^gal," 
as  a  consolation  for  her  disappointment  of  the  Birthday 
Ball  when  George  II.  died,  and  who  could  make  compari- 
sons with  Waterloo  year,  when  "assemblys  are  become  so 
numerous  that  two  or  three  of  a  night  it  is  common  to  go  .  .  . 
if  it  is  not  quite  crowded  it  is  not  thought  good  or  agreable. 
No  cards  are  admitted.  Music  in  which  all  are  proficients 
has  taken  their  place.  .  .  .  No  one  can  now  say  '  breeding ' 
or  'with  child'  or  'lying-in.'  'In  the  family  way'  and 
'  confinement '  have  taken  their  place.  '  Cholic '  and 
'  bowells '  are  exploded  words.  '  Stomach  '  signifies  every- 
thing.    '  Fair  Cyprians '  and  '  tender,'  or  '  interesting  con- 

62 


THE  DUKE'S  FRIENDS  AND  THEIR  HORSES 

nexions'  have  succeeded  to  'women  on  the  town'  and  'kept 
mistresses.'  "  This  was  a  change  indeed  from  her  early 
days,  when  a  crowd  was  rare  except  at  Bedford  House, 
Northumberland  House,  Norfolk  House,  Lady  Hils- 
borough's,  or  Lady  Shelburne's,  and  when  the  intimate 
circle,  in  which  everyone  was  intimately  known,  only  asked 
enough  guests  to  make  themselves  thoroughly  comfortable 
over  the  cards.  Lady  Susan  observes,  too,  that  "  100,000 
bibles  were  given  to  the  people,  and  salons  at  the  same 
time  built  at  our  theatres  for  the  reception  and  entertain- 
ment of  prostitutes  and  their  attendant  swains.  This  one 
may  call  neutralising."  The  bad  effect  it  had  at  first  on 
fashionable  attendance  at  the  playhouses  she  notices  very 
strongly. 

On  the  whole  the  character  of  the  life  she  knew  has 
changed  but  little ;  only  its  outward  forms  and  symbols 
altered.  The  difference  is  that  men  like  "Old  Q."  or  Lord 
Barrymore  threw  themselves  with  greater  energy  and  pub- 
licity into  the  life  of  pleasure  than  their  successors,  and 
much  more  so  than  any  one  can  do  now.  The  tone  was 
louder,  the  colours  brighter.  It  was  also  a  more  friendly 
society,  because  it  was  closer  connected  and  more  inti- 
mately acquainted  than  now.  Some  men  went  because 
they  loved  horses  and  sport ;  others  because  they  hoped  to 
win  money  ;  others  because  Lady  Sarah  flirted  at  New- 
market. They  probably  made  more  noise  and  cut  a  gayer 
dash.  But  the  great,  joyous,  good-humoured,  open-air 
spirit  of  the  best  people  on  the  Turf  was  the  same  we  know 
to-day. 

I  must  now  turn  to  the  reverse  side  of  the  picture. 
Lights  are  never  valuable  without  the  shadows  that  can 
throw  them  up,  and  any  sketch  of  the  racing  life  of  the  last 
half  of  the  eighteenth  century  would  be  incomplete  without 
the  rascals  and  the  horse-copers  who  have  never  been  wholly 
eliminated  from  the  Turf  from  its  beginnings  until  now.  It 
is  quite  possible,  too,  that  if  Wildman  and  O'Kelly  had 
never  bought  Eclipse  after  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's 
death,  the  whole  story  of  the  English  thoroughbred  would 

63 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

have  been  entirely  altered,  and  not  for  the  better.  The  Irish 
adventurer  has,  in  fact,  as  great  a  claim  on  the  gratitude  of 
the  modern  Turf  as  the  royal  owner  who  was  son  and  uncle 
to  two  successive  English  kings.  We  shall  find,  before  I 
have  done  with  them,  that  there  is  a  great  deal  more  to  be 
said  for  Wildman  and  O'Kelly  than  my  readers  may  expect ; 
for  the  family  papers,  so  kindly  submitted  to  me  for  the 
preparation  of  this  book,  have  resulted  in  a  very  different 
portrait  of  Eclipse  s  owner  from  that  hitherto  accepted.  He 
was  no  saint.  I  have  no  desire  to  make  him  out  one.  But 
he  was  very  far  from  being  the  unredeemed  blackguard 
which  tradition  has  so  unfairly  pictured  in  the  absence  of 
the  facts  before  me.  A  thoughtful  consideration  of  Eclipses 
career  upon  the  Turf  is  almost  sufficient  alone  to  disprove 
the  worst  stories  told  about  O'Kelly. 


64 


CHAPTER  V 

''ECLIPSE  FIRST   AND   THE   REST   NOWHERE" 

Exivit  alius  ecjuus  rufus  ;  et  ijui  sedebat  super  ilium  datum  est  ei 

ut  sumeret  pacem  de  terra,  et  ut  invicem  se  interficiant  ;  et 

datus  est  ei  gladius  magnus 

Authentic  Relics  and  True  Stories — The  Birthplace  of  Eclipse — The  Cum- 
berland Papers — Cranbourne  Tower  Paddocks — Cumberland  Farm — 
Eclipse's  Sire — Mr.  Tattersall's  idea — Marske's  Performances — Spiletta — 
"  Colonel  O'Kelly's  Groom  " — Hautboy  Blood— Sale  of  Eclipse— Mr.  Wild- 
man — His  Racing  Stable — Education  of  Eclipse — The  first  Trial — O' Kelly 
at  Epsom — The  first  Victory — Placing  the  Horses — His  Jockeys — Marske's 
Reward — Descriptions  of  Eclipse  in  Training — Fifteen  Hands  Two — Eye- 
witnesses Describe  £'c/z^s(; — Winning  Races  in  1769  and  1770 — Purchase 
by  Dennis  O'Kelly — Ten  to  One  on — York  Races — Goldftnder — Lincoln 
Heath — Colours  in  1771 — Long  distance  Racing — ^25,000  at  the  Stud 
— A  Mile  a  Minute — Conclusive  Evidence. 

WHEN  I  had  first  determined  to  try  and  set 
down  the  truth,  as  far  as  it  is  now  discover- 
able, with  regard  to  the  most  remarkable 
animal  ever  bred,  I  little  realised  the  difficul- 
ties that  lay  before  me.  Six  "undoubted"  skeletons  of 
Eclipse  claimed  my  bewildered  attention.  No  less  than 
nine  "authentic"  feet  were  apparently  possessed  by  this 
extraordinary  animal.  The  "genuine"  hair  out  of  his  tail 
would  have  generously  filled  the  largest  arm-chair  in  the 
Jockey  Club.  The  "certified"  portions  of  his  hide  would 
together  have  easily  carpeted  the  yard  at  Tattersall's.  The 
disposal  of  his  remains  after  death  it  was  a  comparatively 
easy  task  to  discover,  owing  to  the  hints  of  Saint  Bel,  the 
surgeon  who  performed  the  autopsy  ;  but  I  was  baffled  for 

65  E 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

a  long  while  by  the  insistent  claims  of  various  localities  to 
the  honour  of  his  birth.  "  Smyrna,  Rhodos,  Colophon, 
Salamis,  Chios,  Argos,  Athenae,"  were  nothing  to  this 
competition  ;  and  the  shade  of  Homer  may  hide  its  dimin- 
ished head  before  the  anxiety  of  horse-loving  Englishmen 
to  prove  that  Eclipse  was  foaled  in  their  own  district.  As 
it  is,  I  have  not  settled  all  these  points  to  my  own  satisfac- 
tion. I  do  not  believe  that  some  of  them  ever  can  be 
settled.  But  I  shall  not  weary  my  readers  with  too 
many  reasons  for  the  conclusions  at  which  I  have 
arrived.  I  will  only  ask  you  to  believe  that  the  state- 
ments which  follow  are  the  result  of  careful  search 
in  every  possible  direction,  and  of  the  kindest  assistance 
rendered  me  by  known  and  unknown  correspondents  in 
every  part  of  the  United  Kingdom,  sometimes  as  far 
afield  as  Canada,  Australia,  or  the  West  Indies ;  and 
ranging  in  importance  from  His  Majesty  King  Edward  VII. 
to  gentlemen  of  leisure  who,  for  the  trifling  sum  of 
half  a  sovereign,  were  prepared  to  draw  me  up  the  genea- 
logy (and  occasionally  provide  the  portrait)  of  any  horse 
that  ever  breathed. 

It  would  be  curious,  indeed,  if  out  of  all  this  generous 
help  I  had  not  been  able  to  produce  something  "  not  gene- 
rally known  "  ;  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  quite  probable 
that  I  shall  be  my  own  severest  critic,  for  only  those  who 
have  ever  tried  to  write  about  a  horse  that  died  over  a 
century  ago  can  know  how  many  gaps  there  were  to  fill  up 
in  the  history  of  the  most  trivial  matters.  Yet  it  is  con- 
soling to  remember  that  even  in  the  year  of  grace  1880  the 
famous  inquiry  about  Bend  Or  revealed  the  extraordinary 
fact  that  very  few  breeders  of  thoroughbred  stock  kept  a 
register  containing  the  dates  of  the  birth,  with  the  marks 
and  colouring  of  the  foals ;  and  that  even  in  so  renowned 
an  establishment  as  that  of  the  first  Duke  of  Westminster 
it  was  possible  to  raise  the  serious  question  whether  a 
particular  colt  was  really  the  son  of  Doncaster  and  Rouge 
Rose,  or  whether  he  was  Tadcaster.  The  Duke  himself  was 
perfectly  satisfied,  and  subsequent  history  confirmed   his 

66 


I 


CRAXBOURNE  TOWER,  IN  WINDSOR  GREAT  PARK 

Thr  paddock  where  Eclipse  icas  foaled 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

opinion  ;  but  it  seems  very  strange  that  any  uncertainty 
should  ever  have  existed. 

In  the  matter  of  Eclipse  s  birth  I  was  at  first  faced  with 
a  somewhat  similar  doubt ;  and  this  at  first  seemed  more 
difficult  to  dispel  because  the  enormous  importance  of 
Eclipse  in  racing  history  did  not  appear  until  many  years 
after  his  royal  owner's  death  ;  and  though  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  owned  both  Marske  and  Spiletta,  the  previous 
records  of  neither  sire  nor  dam  warranted  any  particularly 
high  hopes  about  their  progeny.  Pictures  of  Marske  are, 
of  course,  well  known.  But  Spiletta  (by  Regitlus)  never 
did  anything  on  the  racecourse  in  spite  of  her  stout  ancestry; 
and  until  Mr.  Arthur  Hargreaves  most  kindly  wrote  to  me 
from  Eccles  and  told  me  of  the  beautiful  picture  by  Sar- 
torius  in  his  possession,  I  did  not  know  she  had  ever  been 
painted.  Then  the  relentless  way  in  which  all  papers 
belonging  to  members  of  the  royal  family  in  the  eighteenth 
century  were  invariably  destroyed  has  cut  off  another  avenue 
of  knowledge.  As  I  have  already  related,  on  the  authority 
of  the  Lord  Rockingham  in  whose  arms  Eclipses  owner 
died,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  papers  were  all  sent  by 
him  to  Princess  Amelia,  and  by  her  were  burnt. 

The  so-called  "  Cumberland  Papers,"  in  the  custody  of 
the  Royal  Librarian  in  Windsor  Castle,  though  very  volu- 
minous on  the  subject  of  the  Duke's  various  campaigns, 
contain  nothing  about  the  matters  on  which  we  are  at 
present  engaged.  His  Royal  Highness  Prince  Christian  of 
Schleswig-Holstein,  successor  to  the  owner  of  Eclipse  as 
Ranger  of  Windsor  Great  Park,  and  now  living  in  Cumber- 
land Lodge  and  Schomberg  House,  both  former  residences 
of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  has  most  kindly  made  inquiries 
for  me  on  the  Continent,  in  case  any  racing  memoranda 
might  have  been  preserved  among  the  papers  of  the  House 
of  Hanover,  but  without  result.  Nor  does  Captain  Campbell, 
of  Holly  Lodge,  in  Windsor  Park,  know  of  any  such  records. 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  documentary  evidence  did 
at  some  time  or  other  actually  exist;  and  though  I  am  not 
able  at  the  present  moment  to  produce  it,   I  am  at  least 

67 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

empowered  to  say  that  H.R.H.  Prince  Christian  has  satis- 
fied himself  that  the  paddock  near  Cranbourne  Tower,  of 
which  I  have  reproduced  a  picture,  was  the  actual  place 
where  Eclipse  was  foaled  in  1764. 

Cranbourne  Lodge  was  one  of  the  houses  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  loved.  The  stables  for  his  carriage  and 
riding  horses  were  at  his  formal  residence,  Cumberland 
Lodge,  and  a  view  of  them  appears  in  these  pages  by  the 
kind  permission  of  their  present  royal  tenant.  But  his 
brood  mares  were  kept  at  the  paddocks  near  Cranbourne 
Lodge,  and  this  is  the  place  given  as  the  birthplace  in  a 
contemporary  account  of  Eclipses  performances  which  I 
reproduce  in  the  Appendix.  The  event  is  now  recorded  for 
future  generations  in  the  tablet  made  for  Prince  Christian 
by  a  Windsor  tradesman  named  Wellman,  and  set  up  by 
him  on  this  spot  on  March  7,  1879  ;  and  Captain  Campbell 
informs  me  that  he  has  never  found  any  reason  to  discredit 
the  information  it  conveys.  It  is  worth  noticing  in  this 
connection  that  one  of  Stubbs'  paintings  in  His  Majesty's 
collections  shows  George  III.  looking  at  the  Duke's 
thoroughbred  mares  and  foals  in  the  Long  Walk.  Mr. 
Bracy  Clark's  theory  (in  1835)  was  ih^it  Eclipse  was  "  foaled 
in  Sussex,  in  the  stud  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland."  No 
such  stud  existed  there  in  the  year  1764. 

The  Duke's  horses  in  training  were  kept  at  Kate's  Gore, 
near  Ilsley ;  and  Mr.  J.  E.  Vincent,  who  lives  at  Drayton, 
is  inclined  to  support  Mr.  J.  M.  Falkner's  theory,  pro- 
pounded in  Murray's  "Berkshire,"  ihdX  Eclipse  was  born 
at  East  Ilsley  on  April  i,  1764.  But  I  cannot  think  it 
likely  that,  when  the  eclipse  occurred  from  which  the  colt 
was  named,  Spiletta  was  among  the  "  running-horses." 
She  is  not  likely  to  have  been  taken  from  the  brood  mares' 
paddocks  near  Cranbourne  Chase  at  so  interesting  a  time. 
The  only  reason  I  can  find  for  connecting  Eclipse  with  the 
Berkshire  Downs  at  all  is  that  in  1770,  the  year  of  his 
most  brilliant  victories,  his  owner,  O'Kelly,  ran  a  mare 
called  Dairymaid  at  Wantage  in  a  ;i^5o  race  for  five-year- 
olds,  four-mile  heats,  8st.  7lbs.,  which  was  won  by  Steady. 

68 


"ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

Nor  is  there  any  other  evidence  for  her  celebrated  foal 
having  first  seen  the  light  under  Sir  Francis  Doyle's  thorn- 
tree  at  Mickleham,  near  Dorking,  except  in  the  fact  that 
Mr.  W.  Wildman,  who  bought  the  yearling,  kept  his 
thoroughbreds  there. 

The  same  misleading  argument  from  names  is  probably 
responsible  for  the  idea  that  Eclipse  was  foaled  at  what  is 
still  called  Cumberland  Farm,  extending  from  New  Barnet 
to  Prince  Regent's  Lane,  at  Plaistow,  Essex.  The  legend 
is  no  doubt  preserved  by  the  name  of  Eclipse  Road,  close 
by.  But  by  the  kindness  of  their  surveyor  I  am  enabled 
to  state  that  "  Cumberland  Farm  "  was  bought  (under  that 
name)  by  the  Coopers  Company  in  1706.  It  is  therefore 
probable  that  the  Eclipse  legends  were  attracted  to  the 
place  after  1770  because  the  name  of  Cumberland  had 
become  very  popular  after  1745;  and  it  is  unfortunately 
the  fact  that  "  Eclipse  Road"  has  only  lately  been  laid  out 
through  part  of  the  old  farm  lands,  and  therefore  its  name 
is  quite  recent.  The  earliest  tenant  of  the  farm  whose 
name  can  so  far  be  traced  is  Mr.  Richard  Hudson  in  1825. 
If  either  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  or  Dennis  O'Kelly  had 
had  the  land  their  names  would  certainly  have  occurred  in 
the  Coopers  Company's  records.  If  Eclipse  was  ever  there 
at  all,  it  could  only  have  been  because  his  first  purchaser, 
Mr.  William  Wildman,  of  Leadenhall  Market,  had  desired 
to  take  advantage  of  a  quiet  out-of-the-way  place  to 
keep  the  colt  until  he  was  broken  in.  But  a  man  who 
owned  paddocks  at  Mickleham  was  hardly  likely  to  take 
the  colt  he  had  picked  out  of  the  Duke's  sale  to  Plaistow, 
especially  when  we  consider  the  difficulty  with  which 
Eclipse  was  even  taught  his  business  in  his  youth.  I  must 
adhere  to  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  so  good  an  authority 
as  Sir  Walter  Gilbey  (in  speaking  of  Stubbs'  pictures) 
mentions  "  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  stud  farm  on  the 
Isle  of  Dogs  "  as  the  birthplace  of  Eclipse,  for  I  think  this 
is  only  a  reflection  of  the  "  Cumberland  Farm  "  legend. 

Having  said  this  much  of  his  birthplace,  in  which  I  am 
glad  to  find  "The  Druid"  agrees  with  my  conclusions,  I 

69 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

pass  on  to  the  question  of  Eclipses  sire.  Many  will  wonder 
nowadays  that  such  a  question  ever  existed,  and  when  I 
find  that  "  Old  Q."  never  had  a  bet  on  it,  I  am  almost 
inclined  to  think  that  the  question  never  became  serious 
during  the  horse's  lifetime.  They  often  betted  on  just  this 
sort  of  problem  at  Brooks's,  and  in  1773  Lord  March  is 
recorded  there  to  have  wagered  that  the  Godolphin  Arabian 
and  not  Bay  Bolton  was  the  sire  of  Mogul,  and  that  Bay 
Bolton  was  not  the  sire  of  Whistle  Jacket.  He  evidently 
remembered  that  Bay  Bolton  (by  Grey  Hautboy)  was 
foaled  in  1705  and  died  in  1736,  whereas  the  Godolphin 
Arabian  (1724  to  1753)  had  a  son  called  Mogztl  who  was 
the  sire  of  Whistle  Jacket  (1749). 

There  is  not  so  much  doubt  now  possible,  with  all  the 
records  before  us,  as  to  the  sire  of  Eclipse  ;  still  it  must  be 
chronicled  that  in  Mr.  Tattersall's  first  album,  the  owner  of 
Herod's  great  son  Highflyer  (1774  to  1793)  records  his 
opinion  that  Eclipse  was  not  by  Marske  but  by  Shakespeare  ; 
"  for  Shakespeare  waj  a  large  and  strong  chestnut  with 
white  legs  and  face  who  got  chestnuts  and  was  a  good 
runner.  Marske  was  a  bad  runner,  a  brown,  who  got 
brown  or  bay.  Mr.  O'Kelly's  groom  says  Eclipse  s  dam 
was  covered  by  both,  and  first  by  Shakespeare."  If  this 
were  true  Eclipse  would  trace  back  through  Shakespeare  to 
Hobgoblin  and  Aleppo,  instead  of  through  Squirt  to 
Bartletfs  Childers,  own  brother  to  Flying  Childers  by  the 
Darley  Arabian.  As  was  seen  when  we  analysed  the 
accepted  pedigree  oi  Eclipse,  the  line  through  Shakespeare 
might  perhaps  be  thought  the  purer  of  the  two,  for  Shake- 
speare's dam  was  the  little  Hartley  mare,  and  his  grandsire 
was  by  the  Darley  Arabian  out  of  a  daughter  of  Hautboy. 
But  the  argument  for  colour  does  not  amount  to  much 
in  those  days.  If  Eclipse  (a  chestnut)  was  by  Shakespeare, 
a  chestnut,  his  grandsire  was  a  brown  and  his  great- 
grandsire  was  a  bay  ;  if  he  was  by  Marske,  a  brown,  his 
grandsire  was  a  chestnut,  and  his  great-grandsire  a  bay. 
In  either  case  his  great -great -grandsire,  the  Darley 
Arabian,  was  a  bay,  and  his  dam  {Spilettd)  was  bay  by  a 

70 


MARSKE,  SIKE  OF  ECLIPSE 

h'nim   thi    iugrarivg  htj    G.   F.    Sfuhhs   in   tlo'    Urittsfi    Musiinii   n/ter  thi:  jtrn'iifhi;/  />//    G.   StiihfiS 


■^■« 


^^ByTvI ARSKE  OUT  OF  SPILETTA^ 
WASVOALEO  IN  THIS  PADDOCK 
i764,  HE  WAS  BRED  BY 


Of  COMBt 


^^- 


PLATE  KECoKLUXG  ECLIPSE'S   BIKTH 
Set   fip  in    IJ'intfsor   Gi-f'rt  Pari:  O;/    li.Ii.H.    I'liuo    christian  of   Sclifcstn'g-Ho/stcin 


"  ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE  " 

bay  son  of  a  dark  brown  bay  Arabian.     There  is  not  much 
to  be  got  out  of  the  colours. 

Then  as  to  performances,  there  seems  to  be  equally 
little  in  it  ;  for  Mr.  Tattersall's  note  does  not  give  any 
races  won  by  Shakespeare  equal  to  Marskes  Jockey  Club 
Plate  in  1754  ;  and  the  poem  written  at  Marskes  death  (a 
tribute  I  have  not  found  given  to  Shakespeare)  does  not 
support  Mr.  Tattersall's  views.     It  begins  as  follows  : 

"Ye  sportsmen  for  a  while  refrain  your  mirth, 
Old  Marsk  is  dead,  consigned  to  peaceful  earth. 
The  king  of  horses  now  alas  !  is  gone, 
Sire  of  Eclipse  who  ne'er  was  beat  by  one.  .  .  . 
Thousands  no  doubt  will  wish  one  day  to  lie 
As  safe  as  Marsk  beneath  an  angry  sky." 

The  first  time  he  appeared  at  Newmarket  in  1754  was 
when  he  received  forfeit  in  April  from  Mr.  Cornwall's  grey 
colt  by  his  Arabian.  But  a  month  afterwards  his  victory 
for  the  Jockey  Club  Plate  of  100  guineas  (four-year-olds,  8st., 
one  heat  over  the  Round  Course  of  3  miles,  4  furlongs,  187 
yards)  involved  beating  Mr.  Panton's  Pythos,  Mr.  Croft's 
Brilliant,  Lord  Gower's  Ginger,  and  Mr.  Vernon's  Bear ; 
and  in  October,  carrying  gst.,  he  beat  Lord  Trentham's 
Stringer  (by  Shock)  over  the  Beacon  Course  of  4  miles,  i 
furlong,  138  yards  for  300  guineas.  Brilliant  had  his 
revenge  in  1755;  but  Marskes  match,  for  1000  guineas, 
with  that  good  horse  Snap  (by  Snip,  son  of  Flying  Childers) 
was  perhaps  his  best  performance,  for  he  lost  by  so  little 
that  the  Duke  challenged  again  in  a  fortnight,  and  only 
sent  Marske  to  the  stud  after  Sjiap  had  beaten  him  twice. 

Colonel  O'Kelly  owned  a  large  oil  painting  of  Marske 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  which  eventually  came  to  the  owners 
of  Celbridge  Abbey  in  Ireland,  and  a  correspondent  kindly 
informs  me  it  still  hangs  on  the  wall  there.  My  own 
illustration  is  taken  from  the  fine  engraving  after  Stubbs  in 
the  British  Museum. 

Marske  was  given  as  a  colt  by  his  breeder,  Mr.  John 
Hutton,  of  Marske,  in  Yorkshire,  to  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 

71 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

land  in  exchange  for  a  chestnut  Arabian.  He  won  his  best 
race  as  a  four-year-old,  and  evidently  never  had  a  chance  of 
the  Arab  mares  at  the  Duke's  stud  until  he  was  thirteen. 
Then  came  the  fortunate  mating  with  his  noble  owner's 
beautiful  daughter  of  Regulus,  a  mare  whom  the  Duke 
bought  from  Sir  Robert  Eden,  who  bred  her  in  1749,  and 
she  was  sent  to  the  stud  after  she  had  lost  her  only  race  at 
Newmarket,  in  1754.  She  died  in  1776,  and  was  the  dam 
of  H.R.H.'s  bay  filly  Ariadne,  by  Crab;  the  Duke  of 
Ancaster's  bay  filly  Proserfine ;  Lord  Abingdon's  chestnut 
colt  Hyperion  (afterwards  Garrick),  by  Marske ;  the  Duke 
of  Ancaster's  chestnut  filly  Briseis,  by  Chrysolite ;  and  of 
BelleropJwn,  Montesquieii,  Hebe,  Coelia,  Luna,  and  Falcons 
dam,  by  Marske. 

Up  to  1763  Marske  had  only  served  farmers'  mares  at 
Cranbourne  Lodge  for  half  a  guinea  and  half  a  crown  to 
the  groom,  and  he  was  bought  by  a  Dorsetshire  farmer  for 
very  little  at  the  Duke's  sale.  But  when  the  real  value  of 
his  son.  Eclipse,  became  evident,  the  Earl  of  Abingdon 
bought  him  for  1000  guineas,  and  he  stood  at  Rycot,  in 
Oxfordshire,  at  100  guineas  a  mare  until  his  death  in  1779, 
having  then  produced  154  winners,  of  a  total  of  ;^7 1,806, 
among  whom  were  Desdeinona,  Hephestion,  Leviathan, 
Masquerade,  Narcissus,  Sharke,  Young  Marske,  and  many 
more.  His  good  luck  did  not  come  until  comparatively 
late,  and  it  was  only  by  the  merest  chance  that  he  was 
foaled  at  all ;  for  his  sire.  Squirt  (by  Bartletfs  Childers 
from  a  daughter  of  Snake),  was  being  led  to  Sir  Harry 
Harpur's  kennel,  when  the  groom  begged  him  off,  and  he 
became  the  sire  of  Marske,  Syphon,  the  sire  of  Pumpkin, 
Mr.  Pratt's  Purity,  and  other  good  ones.  Our  history  of 
breeding  is  full  of  providential  accidents  of  the  same  kind. 

It  is  only  fair  to  add  that  Mr.  John  Lawrence,  who  saw 
Eclipse,  and  published  a  "  History  and  Delineation  of  the 
Horse,"  in  1809,  says :  ''Eclipses  dam  was  covered  both  by 
Shakespeare  and  Marske,  and  she  came  to  Marske  s  time, 
so  the  honour  was  awarded  to  him.  If  I  recollect  right, 
she  had  missed  by  him  the  previous  year.  .  .  .    Great  stress 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

was  laid  upon  the  supposed  likeness  of  Basilms,  one  of  the 
earliest  sons  of  Eclipse,  to  Marske,  and,  indeed,  the  resem- 
blance appears  to  me  strong  ;  but  I  could  discover  no  common 
family  resemblance  between  Eclipse  and  his  presumed 
full  brother,  Garrick.  On  the  other  hand,  I  think  Eclipse 
strongly  resembled  the  family  of  Shakespeare  in  colour  and 
in  certain  particulars  of  form  and  temper."  But  when  we 
get  down  to  any  real  evidence,  we  find  Mr.  Lawrence's 
witness  is  the  same  as  Mr.  Tattersall's  :  "  I  was  frequently 
in  the  habit,"  writes  Mr.  Lawrence,  "  of  visiting  Eclipse  at 
Epsom,  on  which  occasions  I  often  discoursed  the  subject 
of  the  disputed  pedigree  with  Colonel  O'Kelly's  then  groom, 
who  assured  me  that  the  mare  was  covered  hy  Shakespeare." 

I  cannot  accept  "  Colonel  O'Kelly's  groom"  as  an  authority 
of  what  went  on  at  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  stud-farm 
some  time  before  any  one  knew  the  Duke's  horses  were 
likely  to  be  sold,  and  six  years  before  Eclipse  turned  out  to 
be  a  flyer.  Nor  is  it  likely  that  Marske,  good  as  his  pro- 
duce became  as  soon  as  he  was  given  a  chance,  would  have 
been  bought  for  looo  guineas  by  Lord  Abingdon  (who  sub- 
sequently bred  Eclipses  loveliest  son,  Pottos),  unless  all 
doubt  about  the  pedigree  had  been  set  at  rest.  It  is  equally 
certain  that  no  one  would  have  paid  lOO  guineas  in  those 
days  for  Marske  s  services  unless  they  had  been  reasonably 
certain  that  he  had  sired  Eclipse. 

I  have  already  pointed  out  certain  "flaws"  in  Eclipses 
pedigree  in  my  second  chapter.  I  think  we  may  neglect  the 
Shakespeare  legend.  But  I  am  unable  to  say  with  certainty 
whether  Spilettas  granddam  (called  the  Old  Montague 
Mare)  was  by  Old  Montague,  whose  breeding  is  unknown, 
or  by  Woodcock,  who  was  by  Bustler,  by  the  Helmsley 
Turk,  and  therefore  better  blood.  Apart  from  the  out- 
standing facts  that  the  Darley  Arabian  was  his  great-great- 
grandsire,  and  that  the  grandsire  of  his  dam  was  the  Godol- 
phin  Barb,  what  strikes  any  one  who  examines  Eclipses 
pedigree  is  the  preponderance  of  the  blood  of  Hautboy,  who 
was  the  son  of  the  UArcy  White  Turk,  out  of  a  royal 
mare,  and  who  brings  the  third  element  into  that  perfect 

73 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

blend  of  "  Arabian,  Barb,  and  Turk  "  which  was  so  successful 
in  Eclipse. 

So  having  settled,  as  accurately  as  we  can  ever  settle 
them,  the  birthplace  and  the  sire  of  Eclipse,  we  must 
imagine  the  brilliant  chestnut  colt  being  put  up  to  auction 
when  the  Cumberland  stud  was  sold  in  1765.  He  had  a 
very  ugly  head,  and  it  must  have  taken  a  good  judge  to  see 
racing  possibilities  in  the  leggy  yearling  which  the  auc- 
tioneer knocked  down  before  the  right  time  for  the  sale  had 
come.  But  Mr.  William  Wildman  had  evidently  had  a  look 
over  the  lots  beforehand  ;  and  he  arrived  determined  to  get 
hold  of  the  Spiletta  colt,  which  of  course  he  never  bred 
himself,  as  some  authorities  have  suggested. 

The  contemporary  record  oi Eclipse  s  performances,  which 
I  have  reproduced,  says  that  he  was  "  sold  as  a  foal  for 
;j^45."  But  the  accepted  version  of  the  facts  runs  that  he 
had  been  knocked  down  for  70  guineas  (a  good  price  for 
those  days)  before  Mr.  Wildman's  arrival,  and  that  when 
Mr.  Wildman  objected  that  the  sale  had  begun  before  the 
advertised  time,  the  lots  were  put  up  again,  and  the  meat 
salesman  got  the  chestnut  for  a  sum  recorded  by  Whyte  as 
75  guineas,  and  by  John  Osborne  as  80  guineas. 

Whatever  the  exact  total,  the  colt  undoubtedly  passed 
from  the  Duke's  executors  to  Mr.  Wildman,  and  this  gen- 
tleman's personality  immediately  becomes  of  so  much 
interest  that  I  regret  having  found  out  so  little  to  say  of 
him.  Sir  Robert  Heron,  in  his  "  Memoirs,"  mentions  a 
Wildman  in  Nottinghamshire  who  began  by  being  agent 
to  an  estate  and  wound  up  by  owning  it.  But  I  do  not 
think  this  is  our  man. 

A  most  interesting  portrait  of  Mr.  Wildman,  with  his 
two  sons  and  Eclipse,  painted  by  George  Stubbs,  was  sent 
to  Christie's  for  sale  in  1902,  by  the  executors  of  Mr.  J.  R. 
F.  Burnett,  a  great-great-grandson  of  Wildman's,  and  was 
most  appropriately  bought  by  Sir  Walter  Gilbey.  The 
horse  is  of  the  type  Stubbs  made  familiar,  after  the  mag- 
nificent sketch  from  life  of  which  I  shall  have  more  to  say. 
Mr.  Wildman,  who  points  proudly  to  his  horse,  looks  a 

74 


<:    = 


"ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

well-to-do  and  well-dressed  gentleman  of  middle  age,  in  a 
wig  and  three-cornered  hat,  and  a  plain  but  good  dress  with 
the  knee-breeches  of  the  period,  seated  under  a  fine  old  tree 
in  what  may  well  represent  his  Surrey  park.  Ruston  is  the 
name  of  another  of  his  thoroughbreds  which  George  Stubbs 
painted.  I  also  find  "  Wildman's  Squirrer'  in  the  pedigree 
written  beneath  an  old  Eclipse  engraving,  which  may  give 
us  a  valuable  hint  as  to  his  interest  in  the  unknown  Spiletta 
colt;  and  "  Mr.  Wildman's  Pain"  ran  four  heats  with  the 
Duke  of  Grafton's  Havannah  over  a  four-mile  course  at 
Salisbury  in  1763,  which  suggests  that  he  was  racing  in 
good  company  just  before  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  death. 
In  the  same  year  I  find  that  a  black  mare  belonging  to  Mr. 
Wildman  was  used  on  three  days  during  the  wager  which 
Mr.  Shafto  won  from  Mr.  Meynell  that  Mr.  John  Wood- 
cock would  ride  a  hundred  miles  a  day  for  twenty-nine  days 
with  not  more  than  twenty-nine  horses.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
only  eight  horses  and  six  mares  were  used.  Mr.  Woodcock 
began  at  i  a.m.  on  May  4,  1761,  and  finished  on  June  i,  at 
6  P.M.  Mr.  Shafto  lent  him  two  horses,  and  all  the  others 
must  have  been  fine  stayers.  In  1770  Mr.  Wildman's 
Duchess,  by  Slouch,  was  beaten  at  the  Newmarket  First 
Spring  Meeting  by  Mr.  Walton's  grey  horse  Steady,  who 
also  beat  O'Kelly's  bay  colt  at  Ascot  in  June  of  the  same 
year,  the  season  of  Eclipse s  most  decisive  triumphs.  In 
October,  1774,  Mr.  Wildman's  Emma,  hy  Snap,  \v2ls  beaten 
by  Dart,  at  Odiham,  in  a  maiden  plate  of  £s^  for  four-year- 
olds,  8st.,  five-year-olds,  8st.  i2lbs.,  three  heats  once  round 
the  course  ;  and  at  Epsom,  a  fortnight  afterwards,  Mr.  Wild- 
man's  Cantab,  by  Marske,  was  beaten  again  by  the  same 
horse  in  four  three-mile  heats  for  £^0.  Lastly,  it  is  recorded 
that  at  the  same  meeting  Mr.  Wildman  had  another  horse 
running  at  Epsom  named  Wanton,  who  was  beaten  by 
Nestor. 

His  business  was  that  of  a  meat  salesman  in  Leaden- 
hall  Market,  and  of  a  grazier  on  a  large  scale  at  Havering- 
atte-Bower ;  and  no  doubt  his  pleasure  was  breeding 
thoroughbreds   in   Surrey,    and    racing    them   on   various 

75 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

courses.  From  the  few  indications  that  remain  I  get  the 
impression  of  a  prosperous  City  merchant  with  a  sporting 
turn,  married,  and  in  easy  circumstances ;  and  the  only 
thing  I  cannot  understand  about  him  is  his  sale  of  Eclipse 
to  O'Kelly. 

Evidently  Mr.  Wildman  not  only  knew  his  business, 
but  soon  recognised  he  had  got  a  good  thing  in  the  late 
Duke's  yearling.  Being  in  no  hurry  to  realise,  and  having 
made  no  large  outlay  of  capital  for  which  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  recoup  himself  as  soon  as  possible,  he  conferred  an 
inestimable  benefit  on  posterity  by  allowing  the  colt  to 
mature  before  he  raced  him,  and  by  taking  great  pains  to 
find  him  a  jockey  he  liked  in  1769.  At  one  time  Eclipses 
temper  seemed  so  bad  that  a  hasty  owner  might  have 
thought  it  impossible  to  send  him  to  the  post  except  as  a 
gelding.  But  everything  was  tried.  He  was  sent  for  some 
time  to  a  rough-rider  named  George  Elton,  or  Ellers,  near 
Epsom,  who  almost  worked  him  to  death  by  riding  him 
about  all  day,  and  sometimes  kept  him  out  all  night  on 
poaching  expeditions.  But  nothing  hurt  that  iron  consti- 
tution and  magnificently  balanced  framework,  and  nothing 
broke  the  magnificent  spirit  of  Spilettds  fiery  son.  At  last 
patience  and  forbearance  won  the  day.  Jack  Oakley,  who 
rode  him  in  nearly  all  his  races,  never  attempted  to  hold 
him,  but  sat  quietly  in  his  saddle  and  let  him  go  as  he 
pleased,  with  the  result  that  he  cut  down  his  field  at  the 
start  and  kept  on  increasing  his  lead ;  for  the  further  he 
went  the  more  he  seemed  to  enjoy  himself,  so  that  he  must 
have  had  a  combination  of  speed,  stride,  endurance,  and 
weight-carrying  ability  over  a  distance,  which  can  never 
have  been  surpassed  in  the  history  of  the  horse  before  or 
since  ;  for  the  animals  he  beat  were  good  ones,  and  there 
was  not  one  in  existence  during  his  short  racing  career 
which  could  extend  him. 

That  such  proof  of  Eclipse s  capacity  was  forthcoming 
at  all  is  largely  owing  to  Mr.  Wildman.  Had  he  been  born 
in  this  twentieth  century  of  enlightment  and  grace,  there  is 
every  probability  that   he  would  have  been  raced  off   his 

76 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

legs  for  all  the  two-year-old  prizes  in  sight,  and  so  "  treated  " 
for  "  vice  "  that  he  would  never  have  had  any  posterity  at 
all.  It  is  not  always  that  the  jeers  of  modern  scientific 
sportsmen  at  the  rough  days  of  Dennis  O' Kelly  are  wholly 
justified. 

It  was  natural  that  Mr.  Wildman  should  give  him  his 
first  taste  of  racing  at  Epsom,  and  it  was  necessary  to  try 
him  first  over  the  course.  It  is  not  often  realised  that 
O' Kelly  had  begun  to  race  before  he  owned  Eclipse  at 
all,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  his  Caliban,  by 
Brilliant,  was  one  of  the  horses  distanced  by  the  famous 
but  still  unknown  chestnut  at  Winchester  on  June  13,  1769. 
He  was  able,  therefore,  to  advise  Wildman  as  to  the  proper 
course  to  pursue,  if  advice  were  needed,  in  those  weeks  of 
April  that  same  year,  when  Eclipses  real  racing  prepara- 
tion began.  The  Mickleham  stable  naturally  said  very  little 
of  their  plans  ;  but  the  touts  got  to  know,  as  they  usually 
do,  that  one  of  Mr.  Wildman's  lot  was  to  have  an  important 
trial  over  the  Epsom  Downs  against  a  good  horse  which,  I 
suspect,  was  lent  for  the  occasion  by  O'Kelly.  The  touts 
arrived  too  late,  but  they  found  out  what  they  wanted,  as 
they  generally  will.  An  old  woman  on  the  Downs  was  asked 
whether  shehad  seen  anything  like  a  race.  She  replied  thatshe 
did  not  know  whether  it  was  a  race  or  not,  but  she  had  just 
seen  a  horse  with  a  white  leg  "  running  away  at  a  monstrous 
rate,"  and  another  horse  a  great  way  behind  trying  to  race 
after  him ;  but  she  was  "  sure  he  never  would  catch  the 
white-legged  one  if  he  ran  to  the  world's  end."  The  news 
had  reached  Medley's  Coffee  House  by  the  afternoon,  and 
we  may  be  sure  that  more  of  O'Kelly's  friends  than  he 
quite  anticipated  had  put  their  money  on  the  right  horse  in 
Eclipses  first  race  at  the  Epsom  meeting  on  May  3,  1769. 

It  was  a  fifty-guinea  plate  for  horses  that  had  never  won 
;^30,  matches  excepted.  As  a  five-year-old  Eclipse  carried 
8st.  ;  six-year-olds  had  9st.  3lbs. ;  four-mile  heats.  In  this, 
ridden  by  John  Oakley,  he  beat  Mr.  Fortescue's  bay  Gower 
(five  years),  by  Sweepstakes,  an  exceptionally  good  one  ;  Mr. 
Castle's    bay   Chance  (six  years),  by    Yoimg   Cade;    Mr. 

77 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Jenning's  chestnut  Trial  (five  years),  by  Blank ;  and  Mr. 
Quick's  Plume  (five  years),  by  Feather.  So  much  news 
about  the  previous  trial  had  got  about  that  the  betting  was 
four  to  one  on  Eclipse  at  the  start,  but  O' Kelly  had  got  on 
a  large  amount  previously  at  more  remunerative  odds. 
Desirous  of  adding  to  his  gains,  and  being  perfectly  confi- 
dent, after  the  first  heat,  that  this  great  horse  could  race  as 
well  as  he  could  gallop,  he  made  a  heavy  wager  (which  was 
naturally  taken  up  with  considerable  eagerness)  that  he 
would  place  all  the  horses  in  the  second  heat.  When 
asked  to  name  their  order,  he  pronounced  the  famous 
sentence  :  ''Eclipse  first,  and  the  rest  nowhere,"  as  he  was 
sure  that  all  the  other  horses  would  be  "  distanced  "  {i.e., 
beaten  by  over  200  yards),  and  therefore  would  not  be 
"placed"  by  the  judge.  This  proved  to  be  more  correct 
than  most  racing  prophecies  have  ever  been ;  for  John 
Oakley  only  had  to  sit  quite  still,  and  though  all  the  horses 
were  close  together  at  the  three-mile  post,  Eclipse  sailed 
away  so  easily  from  there  that  he  beat  the  rest,  hard  held, 
by  more  than  the  margin  required,  and  his  jockey  could 
not  have  stopped  him  if  he  had  wanted  to.  The  painting 
by  Sartorius  of  the  horse  galloping  with  his  head  down 
shows  how  completely  he  could  master  his  jockey  when  he 
liked.  It  was  nearly  always  Oakley  who  rode  him,  but 
Fitzpatrick  was  sometimes  given  the  mount ;  and  at  York 
in  1770  he  was  ridden  by  S.  Merriott,  according  to  Orton's 
"Turf  Annuals,"  and  by  John  Whiting  at  Lewes,  according 
to  Bracy  Clark  ;  but  I  can  find  no  proof  that  John  Singleton 
(i 732-1826),  who  won  on  Alabaculia  in  1776,  ever  rode 
Eclipse,  as  has  been  suggested.  It  was  probably  Oakley 
with  whom  O'Kelly  made  the  arrangement  described  in  our 
next  chapter,  which  is  about  the  earliest  instance  of  a 
"retaining  fee"  upon  the  Turf;  and  the  colours  were  red 
with  a  black  cap,  which  are  reproduced  in  the  binding  of 
this  volume. 

Mr.  Wildman  himself  must  have  been  as  much  impressed 
as  was  O'Kelly  by  this  performance  at  Epsom,  and  he  took 
a  characteristic  step  in  consequence  of  it  without  delay ;  for 

78 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

he  at  once  hunted  M'^Marske  from  the  Dorsetshire  farmer  who 
had  bought  him  so  cheaply  at  the  Duke's  sale,  and  soon  made 
a  good  deal  more  than  the  purchase  price  {£20)  out  of  his 
fees  at  Mickleham.  When  those  fees  had  risen  to  thirty- 
guineas,  and  after  he  had  raced  others  of  Marskes  get  under 
his  own  colours,  he  sold  the  stallion  to  Lord  Abingdon,  as 
has  been  already  mentioned,  who  promptly  raised  them  to 
a  hundred  guineas,  a  very  large  sum  for  those  days. 

It  is  also  right  to  mention  that  some  authorities  refer 
the  famous  anecdote  about  O'Kelly's  placing  the  horses  to 
the  King's  Plate  at  Newmarket  in  1770,  when  ten  to  one  is 
said  to  have  been  freely  betted  against  the  Irishman  per- 
forming the  feat.  It  is  certainly  true  that  after  this  he  had 
a  walk-over  for  nearly  every  race  in  which  he  entered,  and 
was  withdrawn  from  lack  of  competition  at  the  end  of  that 
season.  But  I  expect  that  there  was  a  very  general  belief 
in  his  extraordinary  excellence  by  that  time,  and  that  few 
people  would  have  laid  so  confidently  against  O'Kelly, 
whose  astuteness  was  equally  a  matter  of  common  know- 
ledge, even  in  a  wager  that  appeared  (to  the  uninitiated) 
almost  impossible  for  any  one  to  win.  Fields  were  smaller 
in  those  days,  and  it  would  be  perfectly  well  known  by  any 
one  betting  with  O'Kelly  at  Newmarket  in  1770  both  that 
distanced  horses  were  unplaced  and  that  Eclipse  was  capable 
of  distancing  his  field.  This  latter  fact,  at  any  rate,  would 
not  seem  very  probable  on  the  horse's  first  appearance ;  and 
therefore  I  agree  with  those  authorities  who  refer  the  bet  to 
the  race  at  Epsom  just  described. 

It  would  be  curious  to  consider  how  many  people 
realised  what  they  were  looking  at  when  Eclipse  registered 
his  first  victory.  What  they  saw  was  a  horse  with  a  very 
ugly  head,  a  blaze  face,  and  one  white  stocking  on  the  off 
hind  leg.  Stubbs  must  have  hit  him  off  to  the  life  in  the 
beautiful  sketch,  now  the  property  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey  at 
Elsenham  Hall,  which  formed  the  type  from  which  most  of 
the  best  portraits  were  taken.  His  colour  was  the  most 
brilliant  chestnut,  and  in  Lord  Rosebery's  wonderful 
collection  at   the  Durdans,  where  there   is   an  undoubted 

79 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

portion  of  Eclipses  skin,  which  came  to  him  through 
Matthew  Dawson,  who  got  it  from  Colonel  O' Kelly's 
nephew,  I  have  seen  the  Epsom  sunlight  shining  on  it, 
with  that  extraordinary  iridescent  effect  which  makes  a 
true  chestnut  the  loveliest  colour  in  the  world. 

It  has  been  said  that  Eclipse  was  what  is  called  a  "thick- 
winded  "  horse,  and  puffed  at  his  exercise  so  as  to  be  heard 
at  a  considerable  distance.  But  he  can  never  have  been 
a  "  roarer  "  at  any  time,  for  his  wind  was  as  sound  as  a 
bell,  both  during  and  after  his  racing  career,  so  that  the 
postponement  of  his  first  appearance  on  a  course  cannot 
have  had  anything  to  do  with  any  physical  weakness. 

I  shall  have  more  to  say  about  his  actual  measurements 
later  on  ;  but,  judging  from  his  skeleton,  he  cannot  have 
been  under  15.2 — a  big  height  for  his  day  and  generation  ; 
and  this  measurement  is  confirmed  by  Bracy  Clark. 

"When  I  first  saw  hitn,"  says  Mr.  John  Lawrence,  who  must  have 
visited  him  at  the  stud,  "he  appeared  in  high  health,  of  a  robust  con- 
stitution, and  to  promise  long  life.  I  paid  particular  attention  to  his 
shoulder,  which,  according  to  the  common  notion,  was  in  truth  very 
thick,  but  very  extensive  and  well  placed.  His  hindquarters  and 
croup  appeared  higher  than  his  forehand  ;  and  in  his  gallop  it  was 
said  no  horse  ever  threw  his  haunches  with  greater  effect,  his  agility 
and  stride  being  on  a  par,  from  his  fortunate  conformation  in  every 
part  and  his  uncommon  strength.  He  had  considerable  length  of 
waist  and  stood  over  a  great  deal  of  ground,  in  which  particular  he  was 
of  the  opposite  form  to  Flying  Childers,  a  short-backed,  compact  horse, 
whose  reach  laid  in  his  lower  limbs.  .  .  .  Eclipse  was  thick-winded, 
and  breathed  hard  and  loud  in  his  exercise.  .  .  ." 

"  He  was  a  big  horse,"  wrote  Mr.  Percival,  the  veterinary  surgeon, 
"  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  tall  in  stature,  lengthy  and  capacious  in 
body,  and  large  in  his  limbs.  For  a  big  horse  his  head  was  small  and 
partook  of  the  Arabian  character ;  his  neck  was  unusually  long ;  his 
shoulder  was  strong,  sufficiently  oblique,  and  although  not  remarkable 
for,  not  deficient  in  depth.  His  chest  was  circular  ;  he  rose  very  little 
on  his  withers,  being  higher  behind  than  before  ;  his  back  was  lengthy 
and  over  the  loins  roached  ;  his-  quarters  were  straight  square  and 
extended  ;  his  limbs  were  lengthy  and  broad,  and  his  joints  large  ;  in 
particular  his  arms  and  thighs  were  long  and  muscular,  and  his  knees 
and  hocks  broad  and  well  formed." 

80 


'' ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

Bracy  Clark,  the  famous  veterinary  surgeon,  who  had 
his  skeleton  soon  after  it  was  dissected,  and  whose  brother 
was  present  at  that  operation,  records  that  Eclipse  had  "a 
particularly  high  croup,  owing  to  the  length  of  his  hind 
limbs  ;  and  his  thigh-bones  were,  for  a  blood-horse,  of  an 
enormous  size.  In  his  gallop  his  hindlegs  were  very  wide 
and  separated"  .  .  .  (which  is  just  what  "The  Druid" 
noticed  in  his  descendant,  Touchstone)  ..."  the  width  of 
the  haunch  bones  and  pelvis  would  account  sufficiently  for 
this  appearance,  the  hindlegs  being  parallel  columns  from 
the  haunch,  and  not  approaching  upwards,  as  do  the  fore- 
limbs." 

We  must  remember  also  that  the  first  Earl  of  Strad- 
broke  (father  of  Admiral  Rous)  said  that  he  had  often  seen 
Eclipse,  and  that  the  horse  "  resembled  a  sixteen-stone 
hunter." 

From  such  descriptions  as  this,  combined  with 
paintings  by  Stubbs  or  Sartorius,  and  with  Saint  Bel's 
careful  measurements  and  analysis  of  his  skeleton,  we  can 
get  somewhat  nearer  to  realising  what  Eclipse  was  like 
than  might  have  been  imagined.  His  performances  on  the 
Turf  were  so  limited  by  his  own  excellence  that  he  is 
somewhat  in  the  position  of  St.  Simon  ;  we  shall  never  know 
how  good  he  really  was  ;  and  in  the  same  way  we  have  to 
judge  of  his  excellence  a  good  deal  by  the  high  form  of  his 
get,  and  the  influence  of  his  blood.  But  it  is  useless  to 
depreciate  the  only  animals  he  ever  had  a  chance  of  beating 
merely  because  he  beat  them  all  without  ever  needing  to 
extend  himself.  I  have  mentioned  some  of  them  already. 
The  story  of  his  other  races  will  complete  the  refutation 
of  the  fable  that  "  he  never  had  anything  to  beat." 

After  his  victory  at  Epsom  early  in  May  1769,  he  went 
on  to  Ascot  where,  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month,  he  won  a 
£^0  Plate  (9st.  3lbs.,  two-mile  heats)  beating  Mr.  Fettyplace's 
b.  h.  CrSine  de  Barbade  (by  Old  Snap),  very  easily  in  both 
heats.  It  must  have  been  soon  after  this  further  confirma- 
tion of  his  excellence  that  O'Kelly  bought  a  half-share  in 
him  from  Wildman  for  650  guineas ;  for  he  was  part  owner 

81  F 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

when,  on  June  13,  Eclipse  won  the  King's  Purse  of  100 
guineas  at  Winchester  (i2st.,  four-mile  heats,  six-year-olds) 
giving  away  a  ^^ear  and  a  sound  beating  to  Mr.  Turner's 
b.  h.  Slouch  (by  Othello) ;  the  Duke  of  Grafton's  gr.  h. 
Chigger  ;  Mr.  Gott's  b.  \v.  Juba  (by  Regiclus) ;  Mr.  O' Kelly's 
b.  h.  Caliban,  by  Brilliant ;  and  Mr.  Bailey's  b.  h.  Clanville 
(by  Bajazet),  the  last  two  being  distanced  in  the  first  heat. 
At  the  same  meeting  Eclipse  walked  over  for  the  Fifty 
Guinea  Plate. 

At  Salisbury,  on  June  29,  he  again  walked  over  for  the 
King's  Purse  of  a  100  guineas,  and  won  30  guineas  and  the 
City  Bowl  (lost.,  four-mile  heats)  against  Mr.  Fettyplace's 
gr.  h.  Sulphnr  (by  Spectator)  and  Mr.  Taylor's  Forrester,  a 
bay  six-year-old.  At  Canterbury  he  walked  over  the  course 
for  the  King's  Purse  of  100  guineas.  At  Lewes  he  won  the 
King's  Plate  of  100  guineas  (i2st.,  four-mile  heats)  against 
Mr.  Strode's  b.  h.  Kiitgston  (six  years),  by  Sampson.  At 
Lichfield  he  only  had  one  horse  to  beat  for  the  King's  Purse 
(8st.  ylbs.,  three-mile  heats),  which  he  won  from  Mr.  Freeth's 
Tardy  (by  Matchless).  Before  the  year  was  over  O' Kelly 
had  managed  to  persuade  Wildman  to  sell  him  the  other 
half  interest  in  Eclipse  for  iioo  guineas,  and  no  better 
bargain  in  horseflesh  was  ever  made. 

His  triumphs  began  again  in  1770,  at  the  Spring  Meet- 
ing at  Newmarket,  where  he  was  matched  on  April  17  over 
the  Beacon  Course  (at  8st.  7lbs.)  against  Mr.  Wentworth's 
fine  chestnut  Bucephahts  (by  Regulus),  both  being  six  years 
old.  Regulus  was  the  sire  of  Eclipses  dam  ;  but  rarely  can 
a  nephew  have  given  his  uncle  so  decisive  a  beating,  for 
though  Bucephalus  was  well  known  as  one  of  the  best 
horses  of  the  day,  both  for  speed  and  stoutness  of  heart, 
nothing  availed  him  ;  and  he  has  secured  a  place  in  history 
as  the  only  horse  who  ever  made  Eclipse  gallop  for  even 
part  of  any  race.  But  his  effort  broke  his  heart,  and  he  was 
never  fit  to  race  again.  Mr.  Wildman's  confidence  was 
unabated,  and  he  bet  600  guineas  to  400  on  his  favourite  at 
the  start.  In  winning  the  400  guineas  for  the  King's  Purse 
on  April  19  (Round  Course,  two  heats  of  2k  miles,  i2st.) 

82 


=£      «5 


"ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

Eclipsehf3X  Mr.  ¥&n\\\c\^s Diana i^ny  Reguhts),  Mr.  Stroud's 
bay  horse  Pensioner  (by  Matchless,  a  son  of  the  Godolphin 
Arabian),  and  the  Duke  of  Grafton's  grey  horse  Chigger. 
Ten  to  one  were  bet  on  Eclipse  at  the  start,  and  after  the 
first  heat  (in  which  Diana  was  second,  Pensioner  third,  and 
Chigger  fourth),  large  sums  were  wagered,  at  odds  of  six 
and  seven  to  four,  that  he  would  distance  Pensioner  in  the 
second  heat,  which  he  did  with  the  greatest  ease.  "  The 
rest,"  in  fact,  were,  as  usual,  "nowhere."  Before  leaving 
Newmarket,  Eclipse  also  walked  over  the  course  twice  for 
lOO  guineas  each  time  ;  and  exactly  the  same  thing  happened 
in  the  King's  Plate  when  he  went  on  to  Nottingham. 

The  monotony  of  the  proceedings  was  slightly  varied  at 
York,  as  is  recorded  not  only  in  Orton's  "Annals,"  but  in 
a  little  book  called  "  Historic  York,"  which  contains  races 
on  the  Knavesmire  from  1709  to  1783. 

In  1770,  at  York,  Captain  O'KtWys  c\\.  h.  Eclipse  i^y 
Marske,  son  of  Squirt,  out  of  Spiletta,  by  Regulus)  did 
indeed  walk  over  for  His  Majesty's  100  guineas  for  six- 
year-olds  (i2st.  7lbs.),  four-mile  heats.  But  he  also  beat  Mr. 
Wentworth's  b.  h.  Tortoise,  by  Snap  (aged),  and  Sir  Charles 
Bunbury's  b.  h.  Bellario,  by  Brilliant  (aged),  for  the  great 
subscription  of  ;^3i9  los.  for  six-year-olds  8st.  7lbs.,  and 
aged  9st.,  four  miles.  The  betting  was  20  to  i  on  Eclipse, 
and  in  running  100  to  i  on.  He  led  at  the  start,  and  had 
distanced  the  others  in  two  miles,  winning  very  easily. 
O'Kelly  paid  50  guineas  entrance.  Snap,  the  sire  of  the 
second  in  the  race,  ran  under  Mr.  Routh's  colours  on  the 
same  course  in  1756,  and  was  never  beaten,  becoming  after- 
wards the  sire  of  many  famous  horses  before  he  died  in 
1777  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  His  son  Goldfinder  was 
also  unbeaten,  and  was  supposed  to  have  had  some  chance 
against  Eclipse,  but  broke  down  in  exercise.  But  I  suspect 
he  would  not  have  done  better  than  Bucephalus  (the  son  of 
Regulus,  a  sire  especially  affected  by  Mr.  Hutton),  who  gave 
Eclipse  the  only  semblance  of  a  contest  ever  seen,  but 
never  recovered  from  his  heart-breaking  efforts.  The 
Belldrio  and   Tortoise  mentioned  above  were  of  very  high 

83 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

class,  and  probably  as  fast  as  any  of  their  day ;  and  the  ease 
with  which  Eclipse  disposed  of  them  is  one  of  the  great 
tests  of  his  transcendent  merits. 

Racing  was  begun  on  Lincoln  Heath,  near  the  village 
of  Waddington,  in  1765,  according  to  the  "  Lincoln  Date 
Book,"  and  was  not  seen  on  the  Carholme,  the  present 
course,  until  September  1771.  The  last  time  there  was 
racing  on  the  Heath,  Eclipse  walked  over  for  the  King's 
Plate,  i2st.,  100  guineas.  At  Guildford  he  had  the  same 
easy  task.  At  Newmarket  he  made  his  last  appearance  on 
the  Turf  at  the  October  meeting,  where  he  won  150  guineas 
(Beacon  Course,  8st.  lolbs.)  against  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's 
b.  h.  Corsican  (by  Swiss,  a  son  of  Old  Snap),  who  was  five 
years  old,  and,  as  the  betting  shows,  was  not  thought  to 
have  a  chance.  O'Kelly  paid  100  guineas  entrance  fee,  and 
the  betting  was  70  to  i  on  Eclipse ;  so  this  can  hardly  be 
called  a  profitable  race ;  and  no  one  ventured  to  oppose  the 
chestnut  next  day  when  he  walked  over  the  Round  Course 
for  the  King's  Plate. 

An  interesting  indication  of  the  most  prominent  owners 
on  the  Turf  at  this  moment  may  be  derived  from  the  fact 
that  on  February  10,  1771,  the  following  colours  were 
registered  at  the  meeting  of  the  Jockey  Club  at  the  Star 
and  Garter,  in  Pall  Mall. 


Duke  of  Kingston 
Duke  of  Ancaster  . 
Duke  of  Grafton    . 
Duke  of  Northumberland 
Marquis  of  Rockingham 
Viscount  Bolingbroke 
Lord  Carlisle 
Lord  Grosvenor    . 
Lord  Farnham 
Lord  Ossory 
Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  Bt. 
Rt.  Hon.  C.  J.  Fox 
Mr.  Thos.  Foley    . 
Mr.  Pigott      . 
Mr.  Patrick  Blake 


84 


Crimson. 

Very  light  buff. 

Dark  blue,  black  cap. 

Gold. 

Green,  black  cap. 

Black. 

Scarlet  and  grey  stripes. 

Orange,  black  cap. 

Sky  blue. 

Pea  green. 

Pink  and  white  stripe,  black  cap. 

Green  and  white  stripe. 

Green  and  white  stripe. 

Pompadour. 

Black  and  white. 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

Mr.  C.  Blake  ....  Grey  and  white. 

Mr.  Burlton Yellow. 

Mr.  Ogilvy Harlequin. 

Mr.  R.  Vernon      ....  White,  black  cap. 

Mr.  P.  Wentworth        .        .        ,  White  satin. 

There  must  have  been  quite  a  sigh  of  relief  from  most  of 
these  gentlemen  when  it  was  known  that  Eclipse  had  defi- 
nitely been  taken  out  of  training,  and  I  can  imagine  many 
more  exciting  seasons  on  the  English  Turf  than  those  of  1769 
and  1770,  when  one  animal  could  beat  everything  in  sight. 
Their  significance,  however,  was  enormous  ;  for  though  we 
should  now  consider  it  rather  a  bad  sign  if  a  single  horse 
were  to  prove  itself  far  and  away  better  than  all  the  rest,  in 
those  early  days  it  meant  a  development  of  the  thorough- 
bred which  was  to  alter  the  whole  character  of   English 
racing  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  afterwards.     Eclipse, 
as  Mr.  Lawrence  finely  says,  "  was  never  beaten,  never  had 
a  whip  flourished  over  him,  or  felt  the  tickling  of  a  spur,  or 
was  ever   for   a   moment   distressed  .  .  .  outfooting,  out- 
striding,  and  outlasting  every  horse  which  started  against 
him."     That  is  the  real  value  of  a  racing  record  which  only 
brought  in  2149  guineas  in  prize-money,  though  it  included 
eleven  King's  Plates  out  of  about  eighteen  victories  that 
are  recorded,  and  these  races  were  nearly  all  run  under  con- 
ditions calculated  to  try  the  best  horses  as  high  as  possible. 
I  have  myself  only  seen  one  race  over  as  long  a  distance  as 
three  miles  six  furlongs,  and  that  was  the  "  Prix  Gladiateur," 
Avhich  was  run  at  Chantilly  on  October  23,  1906,  instead  of  at 
Longchamps,   where  a  crowd  of  roughs  had  wrecked  the 
racecourse  and  plundered  the  totalisators  on  the  previous 
Sunday.     It  was  won  by  Clyde,  a  daughter  of  Childwick, 
carrying  8st.  lolbs.,  and  the  pace  was  very  good  throughout. 
I  never  saw  a  mare  less  tired  after  so  trying  a  course ;  a  nd 
I  believe  there  is  no  longer  one  in  Europe,  for  when  Lord 
Ellesmere's  Kroonstad  walked  over  for  the  Whip  at  New- 
market, less  than  a  fortnight  before,  the  course  (Ditch  In) 
was  only  2  miles  118  yards;  but  the  weight  was  lost.,  and 
it  is  this  last  point  which  makes  Eclipse,  s  performances  so 

85 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

remarkable.  As  I  shall  show  later,  his  speed,  though  better 
than  any  of  his  day,  could  probably  be  easily  beaten  by  the 
modern  cracks  that  are  breaking  records  every  year ;  but 
there  is  hardly  one  alive  now  that  could  race  for  four  miles 
under  list,  or  i2st.  as  Eclipse  habitually  did;  and  the 
reason  may  well  be  that  he  was  nearer  the  original  Arab, 
and  that  there  had  not  yet  been  time  to  break  down  stamina 
by  breeding  for  flashy  sprints  or  by  racing  two-year-olds 
before  they  were  mature.  It  has  been  shown  since  his  time 
that  the  pure  Arab  can  outlast  anything  on  four  legs  at  his 
own  pace ;  but  that,  for  sheer  speed,  the  worst  plater  on  the 
Turf  to-day  can  give  him  two  stone  and  a  beating  over  a 
mile  course. 

But  I  must  not  yet  enter  into  comparative  questions  of 
speed  or  deterioration,  which  almost  deserve  a  volume  to 
themselves.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  repeat  that  "  O'Kelly's 
gang,"  who  are  supposed  to  have  fleeced  the  Turf  at  large 
during  1769  and  1770,  made  very  little  in  prizes,  and  had  to 
pay  so  highly  for  the  privilege  of  betting  that  only  the  capi- 
talists among  them  could  have  ever  speculated  much.  One 
point,  too,  must  always  be  given  in  their  favour,  for  it  shows 
they  resisted  as  strong  a  temptation  as  any  racecourse 
blackguard  ever  had.  They  never  "  stopped  "  the  favourite. 
Eclipse  was  never  beaten  "  by  an  accident." 

O'Kelly's  real  fun  began  when  Eclipse  had  stood  a 
year  or  two  as  a  stallion  at  Clay  Hill,  Epsom  ;  and  the 
engraving  in  the  British  Museum,  after  the  picture  Stubbs 
painted  for  the  lucky  Irishman,  is  dated  October  1773.  It 
was  doubtless  done,  as  were  so  many  of  those  in  the  superb 
collection  of  Mr.  Tattersall's  albums,  as  a  kind  of  advertise- 
ment in  the  first  instance,  though  that  was  little  wanted  for 
so  famous  an  animal  ;  for  Eclipse  s  fee  at  first  was  50 
guineas.  In  1772  it  fell  to  25  ;  after  1774,  by  subscription, 
forty  mares,  besides  his  owner's,  at  30  guineas ;  and  this 
the  same  to  all  in  1779.  In  178 1  it  had  fallen  to  20,  but 
from  1785  till  his  death  he  could  command  30. 

O'Kelly  was  not  a  modest  man  ;  but  he  saw  no  use  in  ex- 
aggeration ;  and  _;;^25,ooo  is  the  total  of  the  gains  he  admitted 

86 


«        a     I 


''ECLIPSE  FIRST  AND  THE  REST  NOWHERE" 

from  his  good  horse  at  the  stud.  Mr.  Fenwick  cleared 
;!^i 7,000  by  Matchem,  and  Mr.  Martindale  a  good  deal  less 
by  Regulus  ;  so  that  Eclipses  gains  are  comparatively  heavy, 
and  his  get  secured  the  enormous  sum  (for  those  cautious 
days)  of  _;!^i58,047  between  344  winners  in  23  years, 
besides  various  other  victories  by  PotSos,  Etnpress,  Young 
Eclipse,  Dungamion,  Gunpowder  and  Meteor,  chiefly  at 
Newmarket,  between  1779  and  1789.  Of  course  this  will 
not  stand  comparison  with  such  modern  records  as  that  of 
St.  Simon  ;  but  there  was  far  less  money  to  be  run  for  a 
hundred  years  ago,  and  the  total  has  usually  been  mis- 
printed to  read  ^518,047,  apparently  with  the  object  of 
equalling  St.  Sinioifs  extraordinary  results.  These  latter 
are  worth  recording  here,  as  a  comparison,  in  the  dozen  years, 
for  which  I  can  quote  the  stud-groom's  figures.  Without 
including  place-money  or  races  abroad,  the  figures  of 
St.  Simons  winning  stock  are  as  follows  : 


1889 

••     ;^24,286 

189s    . 

£2,oa(>9 

1890 

;^32,799 

1896 

;^59-740 

I89I 

;^25,890 

1897    . 

£22,S^l 

1892 

;£56,i39 

1898 

;£lS,2I0 

1893 

;i36,3i9 

1899 

;fi7.505 

1894 

^^42,092 

1900 

;^54,46o 

This  means  an  annual  average  (for  twelve  years)  of 
;^34,2i2  won  in  prizes  by  animals  of  which  the  undefeated 
St.  Simon  was  the  sire  ;  and  the  Duke  of  Portland's  famouj 
horse  traces  back  through  Galopin,  Vedette,  Voltigenr, 
Voltaire,  Blacklock,  Whitelock,  Hambletonian  and  King 
Fergus,  in  direct  male  line  to  Eclipse. 

But  questions  of  breeding  I  must  reserve  till  later.  The 
appropriate  ending  to  this  chapter  on  Eclipses  racing  record 
is  the  letter  written  by  his  owner's  nephew  and  heir  con- 
cerning his  pace,  which,  it  will  be  seen,  had  reached  pro- 
portions as  legendary  and  as  exaggerated  as  the  total  of  his 
stock's  winnings  by  so  early  a  date  as  1814.  They  were 
still  betting  about  it  in  Admiral  Rous's  day.  The  letter,  of 
which  I  reproduce  the  original,  runs  as  follows : 

87 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Endorsed. — To  Mr.  Cross,  St.  Mildred's  Court,  Poultry,  respecting 
Eclipse's  having  run  a  mile  in  a  minute.     May  lO,  1814. 

Lt.-Col.  O'Kelly  presents  his  compts  to  Mr.  Cross  and  in  answer  to 
hisQ. 

Did  the  celebrated  horse  Eclipse  ever  run  over  a  mile  of 
ground  within  the  space  of  one  minute  ? 
begs  leave  to  inform  him  that  Eclipse  never  having  been  tried  against 
time  it  is  impossible  to  say  whether  he  ever  did  accomplish  a  mile 
within  this  time,  altho'  he  was  reputed  the  fastest  horse  that  was  ever 
bred  in  England. 

Half  Moon  St.,  May  10,  18 14. 

The  Lieutenant-Colonel  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly  who 
wrote  this  was  not  the  man  who  bought  and  raced 
Eclipse;  and  it  is  to  his  uncle,  to  the  unknown  Irishman 
whose  bulldog  physiognomy  adorns  my  frontispiece,  that  I 
must  now  turn.  Eclipses  owner  was  a  remarkable  man,  as 
befitted  one  whose  name  is  linked  for  all  time  with  the  most 
celebrated  horse  in  the  history  of  racing. 


88 


CHAPTER  VI 

DENNIS  O'KELLY 

Risus  do/ore  misabitur  et  extrema  gaudii  luctus  occupat 

Part  I.— EARLY  DAYS 

Family  Papers — Miniature  by  Lochee — Characteristic  Features — The 
O'Kellys  of  Tullow — The  Grattans,  Harveys,  and  Esmondes — Early  Days 
— Barry  Lyndon  and  Tregonwell  Frampton — The  Sedan  Chair — Dr.  John- 
son— Irishmen  on  the  Turf — Buck  VVhaley — The  Prince's  Stakes — Early 
Days  in  Town — The  Fleet  Prison — The  "Count" — Charlotte  Hayes — 
Blacklegs  on  the  Turf — Gambling  Hells — Betting — Sixteen  New  Offences 
— Chances  of  Breeding — Dennis  in  1766 — Purchases  in  1769 — Clay  Hill 
— The  Racing  Stud — "  Cross  and  Jostle  " — Retaining  a  Jockey — "  The 
Blacklegged  Fraternity  " — Hospitable  Gatherings — Good  Points  in  the 
Character  of  Dennis — The  Militia  Title — Did  he  Fight  in  America  ? — The 
Two  "  Colonel  O'Kellys." 

ONE  of  the  greatest  revolutions  in  the  verdicts 
passed  by  my  predecessors,  which  was  created 
by  the  appearance  of  the  manuscript  memoranda 
of  the  O' Kelly  family  mentioned  in  my  preface, 
was  the  entire  revision  of  the  character  and  personality  of 
the  owner  of  Eclipse  as  it  has  hitherto  been  accepted. 
Before  these  papers  were  put  into  my  hands,  my  only 
authorities  consisted  of  scattered  references  in  various  books 
on  racing,  a  few  contemporary  newspapers  and  magazines, 
and  some  scurrilous  memoirs  printed  soon  after  Dennis 
O'Kellys  death,  which  I  have  now  found  reason  to  use 
with  great  caution.  Of  these  latter  the  larger  part  has  been 
relegated  to  my  Appendix  for  the  edification  of  the  curious 
and  the  avoidance  of  all  scruple  and  doubtfulness. 

89 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

It  will  be  realised  that  with  one  part  of  the  family- 
papers  in  Ireland  and  another  in  Yorkshire,  it  was  only- 
owing  to  the  generosity-  and  forbearance  of  their  respective 
owners  that  I  have  been  able  to  select  what  few  surviving 
traces  of  O'Kelly's  life  can  be  deciphered  among  a  mass  of 
documents  which  had  not  been  searched  for  this  purpose 
before.  There  are,  therefore,  gaps  in  my  narrative  of  facts 
which  I  can  only  fill  by  those  conjectures  which  appear 
most  probable  after  a  careful  consideration  of  the  subject 
and  of  the  new  material  before  me.  Those  who  criticise 
this  method  will  perhaps  be  charitable  enough  to  remember 
that,  faulty  as  it  may  be,  it  should  produce  results  con- 
siderably superior  to  any  that  have  not  been  based  on  the 
assistance  so  fortunately  rendered  to  the  present  writer. 
To  take  one  point  only:  I  doubt  whether  the  general  public, 
or  even  the  world  of  racing,  has  before  seen  an  authentic 
portrait  of  Dennis  O'Kelly. 

My  frontispiece  is  an  enlarged  autotype  from  a  beautiful 
little  cameo  mounted  in  gold  now  in  the  possession  of 
Major  Langdale,  who  inherited  it  from  his  mother,  the 
daughter  of  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey.  It  very  probably 
formed  part  of  a  mourning-ring  made,  according  to  the 
fashion  of  those  days,  to  be  given  to  Dennis  O'Kelly's 
relatives  and  friends  after  his  funeral,  or  perhaps  to  be  kept 
only  by  his  heir.  I  deduce  this  from  the  appearance 
in  an  account-book  kept  by  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
nephew  and  heir  of  Eclipses  owner,  of  the  item 

"  To  Lochee,  Limner,  ^^5     5     o." 

which  is  dated  July  2,  1788.  Dennis  O'Kelly  died  in 
December  1787.  Further,  in  Tassie's  list,  number  14,334  is 
"  Cameo,  A  bust  of  Count  O'Kelly  modelled  by  Lochee."  The 
title  of  "  Count "  is  one  that  is  frequently  given  to  Dennis,  and 
we  shall  see  later  the  reason  for  which  his  contemporaries 
thought  he  held  it.  I  never  find  it  used  of  his  nephew,  or 
of  any  other  member  of  the  family.  Lochee  (whose  name 
may  have  been  derived  from  the  northern  suburb  of 
Dundee)   lived    in    the    Haymarket,    and    was    "  portrait- 

90 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

modeller  to  the  Royal  Princes."  He  was  employed  by 
Wedgewood  in  the  second  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  was  an  exquisite  craftsman  in  small  things.  He  is 
known  to  have  been  working  at  Stowe  in  December  1787, 
and  again  in  the  following  March  (four  months  before  his 
name  appears  in  the  young  O' Kelly's  account-book)  when 
he  was  accompanied  by  an  assistant  named  Plast,  and 
obtained  copies  of  the  finest  gems  in  the  Duke  of  Buck- 
ingham's possession,  made  after  the  same  style  as  the 
O'Kelly  cameo.  Several  examples  of  his  modelling  may 
be  seen  in  the  British  Museum. 

The  face  is  an  undoubted  and  very  characteristic 
portrait.  It  is  not  that  of  a  common  man  of  unknown 
origin,  for  there  are  traces  of  good  blood  in  it  as  well  as  of 
hard  bone.  The  eye  is  well  set,  and  there  is  breeding 
about  the  lines  of  the  nose.  The  length  of  the  upper  lip 
may  be  an  Irish  feature.  The  bulldog  jowl  and  the  re- 
treating brow  are  its  worst  points.  They  show  great 
strength  of  purpose  combined  with  lack  of  imagination  ; 
and  the  sturdy  neck  and  bulging  back  of  the  head  indicate 
similar  qualities  of  dogged  virility.  The  lips  are  thin, 
with  little  humour  in  them,  and  for  the  completion  of  the 
analysis  it  is  a  pity  that  the  ears  are  hidden.  The  man,  as 
Lochee  thus  reveals  him,  is  the  very  mixture  of  good  and 
evil  which  most  of  us  are,  a  mixture  which  only  accentuates 
the  contradiction  of  its  elements  in  a  man  who  lives 
hard,  who  has  had  to  fight  his  way  up  in  the  world, 
and  who  possesses  the  qualities — both  physical  and 
temperamental — requisite  for  success  in  a  rough  struggle 
against  very  varying  kinds  of  opposition.  No  hindrance 
stopped  O'Kelly  ;  and  you  can  see  that  in  his  face. 
But  he  drew  the  line  at  some  things ;  and  you  can  see 
that  too.  He  reminds  me,  in  character,  of  a  greater  man 
I  have  already  mentioned,  of  the  opponent  of  Eclipses 
breeder  on  the  field  of  Fontenoy,  of  that  Marshal  Saxe 
who  had  all  the  daring  of  a  man  of  breeding  with  none  of 
the  highest  prerogatives  of  birth — the  courage  that  has  to 
suffice,  not  for  the  son  only,  but  the  unacknowledged  father 

91 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

too.  That  O'Kelly,  when  he  came  to  England,  was  "  lord 
of  his  presence  and  no  land  beside,"  is  true  enough  :  that 
he  was  as  ready  to  hang  a  calfskin  on  the  recreant  limbs 
of  any  soft-hearted  opponent,  is  true  enough  as  well.  But 
as  far  as  I  can  find  out  he  was  the  legitimate  son  of  Philip 
O'Kelly,  of  Tullow,  in  County  Carlow,  a  poor  squireen  of 
an  old  house,  whose  boys  had  to  fend  for  themselves,  and 
left  for  England,  at  a  fairly  early  age,  to  do  it.  The 
O'Kellys  of  Grange  and  Ballymurchoe  have  died  out,  and 
of  the  direct  line  of  Eclipse  s  owner,  there  are  none,  for  he 
was  childless  and  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  who  survived 
his  children. 

But  the  O'Kelly  genealogy  is  full  of  interest,  and  the 
marriages  that  occurred  in  it  soon  after  the  death  of  Dennis 
prove  pretty  conclusively  that  he  cannot  have  been  the 
blackguard  he  has  hitherto  been  thought.  I  shall  have 
more  to  say  of  these  collateral  descendants  of  his  when  I 
describe  his  nephew's  career  upon  the  Turf,  so  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  say  now  that  his  sister  Mary  married  Whitfield 
Harvey,  who  gave  a  name  to  Eclipse  s  daughter,  Miss 
Harvey,  granddam  of  Sir  Joshua.  Mary  Harvey's  son 
was  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey,  who  was  the  real  creator  of 
Freeman  s  Journal,  and  married  Frances  Tracy,  the 
heiress.  Their  daughter,  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey  (of 
Glenwood,  Co.  Wicklow)  married  Henry  Grattan,  M.P. 
(b.  1787)  who  brought  into  this  family  the  Celbridge 
property  which  had  come  to  the  Grattans  from  Dean 
Marlay,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Waterford.  This  Henry 
Grattan,  whose  brother  married  Lord  Dysart's  sister,  and 
died  at  Waterloo,  was  the  son  of  the  great  Henry  Grattan, 
who  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey,  and  of  Henrietta 
Fitzgerald.  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey  (who  became,  as  we 
have  seen,  Mrs.  Grattan)  had  six  children,  and  the  eldest 
daughter  married  a  Langdale  of  Houghton  in  Yorkshire, 
whose  son  lent  me  the  portrait  -  cameo  of  Dennis 
O'Kelly  and  many  racing  memoranda  for  this  book. 
The  fourth  of  the  Grattan  sisters,  Louisa,  married  Sir 
John    Esmonde,   M.P.,    and    their    son,   the    present    Sir 

92 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

Thomas  Grattan  Esmonde,  M.P.,  lent  me  the  charming 
painting  of  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly  and  a  very  large 
quantity  of  manuscripts  relating  to  the  family.  Even 
if  I  had  not  said  enough  already,  these  manuscripts, 
to  which  I  shall  from  time  to  time  refer,  would  be 
alone  sufficient  to   show  that  the  owner   of  Eclipse   was 


THE    START.       BY    ROWLANDSON 


very  far  from  being  the  graceless  ruffian  of  obscure 
origin  he  has  till  now  been  pictured  ;  and  that  he  had 
learnt  a  good  Italian  hand  is  evident  from  the  signature 
to  a  document  drawn  up  in  1769,  which  I  reproduce  in  this 
book. 

Dennis  O'Kelly  was  born  about  1720,  and  it  seems 
likely  that  his  elder  brother  Philip  (who  later  on  looked 
after  the  stud  farm  at  Epson)  was  obliged  to  work  at  some 
trade  or  another  to  assist  in  supporting  the  family  during 
the  early  days  of  their  life  in  Ireland.  Dennis  seems  to 
have  grown  restless  first,  and  went  over  to  England  at 
about  the  age  of  five-and-twenty  to  make  his  fortune. 
Apart  from  the    miniature    reproduced  here,  it  would  be 

93 


'^^^^Hjp; 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

very  difficult  to  get  any  idea  of  his  personality,  though  he 
no  doubt  appears  in  Rowlandson's  drawing  of  the  Betting 
Room  of  the  Jockey  Club,  and  there  is  a  strong  tradition 
that  his  figure  is  again  introduced  in  the  same  artist's 
charming  sketches  of  the  "  Betting-Post  "  and  the  "  Start ;  " 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  latter  are  rather 
caricatures  than  portraits.  His  broad  shoulders  and  deep 
chest  may  have  somewhat  detracted  from  his  height,  which 
one  writer,  in  the  year  of  O'Kelly's  death,  puts  at  5ft.  i  lins. 
while  another  calls  him  "  a  short,  thick-set,  dark,  harsh- 
visaged,  ruffian-looking  fellow,"  yet  admits  that  he  could 
display  "  the  ease,  the  agrdmens,  the  manners  of  a  gentle- 
man, and  the  attractive  quaintness  of  a  humorist." 

His  features  [writes  another  eye  -  witness]  were  neither  irregular 
nor  unpleasing,  though  strongly  marked  with  the  varnacitlar ;  but  his 
voice  (the  very  reverse  of  melody)  not  only  assailed  but  wounded  the 
ear.  It  was  what  migbt  be  termed  the  broadest  and  most  offensive 
brogue  his  nation  ever  produced. 

The  resultant  ima^e  is  something  between  Barry 
Lyndon  in  fiction  and  Tregonwell  Frampton  in  fact,  with  a 
dash  of  practically  successful  and  hard-headed  ambition 
possessed  by  neither.  The  more  I  have  read  of  the 
O' Kelly  papers,  which  have  been  certainly  unknown  to 
most  people  since  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
the  more  amusement  I  find  in  recalling  the  details  of  two 
of  Thackeray's  most  successful  literary  creations  :  Catherine 
Hayes  and  Barry  Lyndon.  Barry,  you  will  remember,  was 
very  friendly  with  a  gamekeeper  who  talked  of  "  Fontenoy 
nd  Marshal  Saxe  and  the  opera-dancers ; "  and  in  the 
"ys  when' he  was  no  longer  "bitter  poor,"  he  once  asked 
r.  Johnson  what  horse  will  win  at  Epsom  Downs  next 
week,  or  could  he  shoot  the  ace  of  spades  ten  times  without 
missing ;  nor  was  the  doctor  as  unsympathetic  as  might 
have  been  imagined.  Barry's  father,  too,  might  have  been 
drawn  from  life  not  far  from  old  O'Kelly's  birthplace,  for 
did  he  not  keep  seven  racehorses  while  he  was  attorney's 
clerk  and  hunt  regularly  with  the   Kildare  and  Wicklow 

94 


ECLIPSE 

From  the  pniutinf/  bi/  Sartorius  in  the  2)ossetisiou  of  .luHan  Sampson,   Eaq. 


ECLIPSE  AT  FULL  GALLOP 

From  (I  print  in  the  })osses$ion  of  H.li.H.  Prince  Christian  of  Schh'sn-ii/-J{olstvin,  after  the 

painting/  by  Sartoritis 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

hounds  ?  Did  he  not  win  the  Plate  at  Newmarket  with 
Endyinion  and  attract  the  attention  of  his  sovereign  ?  Did 
he  not  live  (and  this  is  perhaps  the  strangest  coincidence  of 
all)  "  in  a  fine  house  in  Clarges  Street  where  gentlemen 
lost  a  few  pieces  at  play?  "  And  did  he  not  drive  his  coach 
and  six  like  a  man  of  fashion  and  die  at  Chester  Races  ? 
It  is  strangely  like  O'Kelly,  without  the  manly  fibre  and 
resolute  determination  of  Eclipses  owner. 

This  temperament  was  harmoniously  welded  to  an  iron 
constitution,  with  a  keenly  retentive  memory  and  a  sur- 
prisingly universal  faculty  of  intuition  ;  so  that  it  was  only 
a  very  short  time  before  the  youthful  Dennis  O'Kelly  learnt 
his  way  about  town  and  made  up  his  mind  about  the 
various  opportunities  and  personalities  of  London.  It 
may  well  be  true  that  the  young  Irishman  had  so  hard  a 
struggle  to  make  his  way  at  first  that  he  was  once  com- 
pelled to  take  the  front  shafts  of  a  sedan-chair,  in  which  he 
cut  so  good  a  figure  that  one  of  his  fares  gave  him  the 
opportunity  and  the  means  to  get  a  start  in  life  and  be 
imprisoned  for  debt  like  a  gentleman,  pr  The  details  of  this 
adventure,  according  to  the  memoirs  of  the  time,  must  be" 
read  in  my  Appendix  ;  but  I  need  only  say  here  that  such  an 
employment  would  not  necessarily  have  done  him  much 
harm  either  in  racing  circles  or  in  society  about  town  later 
on.  Richard  Barrymore,  for  instance,  known  to  his  friends 
as  "  Hellgate,"  married  the  daughter  of  a  sedan-chairman 
who  was  also  niece  of  the  notorious  Lady  Lade.  This 
lively  young  person,  who  begun  her  career  as  the  mistress 
of  "  Sixteen-string  Jack,"  was  the  wife  of  Sir  John  Lade, 
the  ward  of  Thrale  and  the  friend  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
In  spite  of  all  his  faults.  Sir  John  was  a  member  of  that 
aristocratic  "  Whip  "  Club  which  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
present  "  Four-in-Hand." 

I  may  note,  in  passing,  that  Thrale's  friend.  Dr. 
Johnson,  did  not  take  his  views  of  the  turf  entirely  from 
the  justly  reprobated  career  of  Sir  John  Lade ;  for  it  is  a 
curious  fact  that,  at  the  great  lexicographer's  funeral,  one 
of  his  pall-bearers  was  a  racing-man  so  distinguished  in  the 

95 


ECLIPSE  AND  OKELLY 

history  of  Newmarket  and  Epsom  as  Sir  Charles  Bunbury. 
Besides  this,  the  story  of  Dr.  Johnson's  visit  to  Atlas  is 
well  known,  after  that  stout  horse's  match  with  Mr. 
Warner's  Careless  had  been  celebrated  in  enthusiastic 
rhymes.  When  the  Doctor  had  examined  this  splendid 
animal  at  Chatsworth,  he  said  he  would  rather  own  him 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  Duke's  possessions. 

If  a  sedan-chair,  then,  was  not  a  bar  to  subsequent 
success,  imprisonment  for  debt  most  certainly  was  not.  Sir 
John  Lade  was,  of  course,  imprisoned,  and  if  we  confine 
ourselves  to  Irishmen  in  society,  there  was  George  Hanger, 
the  Prince's  equerry,  who  had  precisely  the  same  experience, 
and  Lord  Belfast  (afterwards  Marquis  of  Donegal),  who  was 
a  kind  of  racing  partner  with  Dennis  O'Kelly's  nephew,  and 
ran  through  something  like  half  a  million  of  money,  as  will 
be  seen  in  later  pages.  Buck  Whaley,  or  "  Jerusalem 
Whaley,"  as  he  was  usually  known,  is  another  well-known 
example  of  Hibernian  extravagance.  He  was  born  in 
Dublin  in  1766,  only  two  years  after  Eclipse,  and  was  son 
of  the  Member  of  Parliament  for  County  Wicklow,  who 
lived  at  77  (now  87)  St.  Stephen's  Green,  so  he  was 
probably  known  to  the  O'Kellys,  and  to  the  Harveys  later 
on.  Young  Whaley  certainly  went  the  pace  as  long  as  he 
had  money  left,  both  in  Paris  and  elsewhere  ;  and  after 
emerging  from  the  inevitable  debtor's  prison  he  retired  for  a 
space  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  where  he  built  the  house  now 
known  as  the  Fort  Anne  Hotel.  He  brought  back  from 
the  Eastern  travels,  which  earned  him  his  nickname,  a  fine 
Arabian  stallion  which  unfortunately  died.  He  did  a  little 
racing  at  Brighton,  and  at  Newmarket,  where  he  lost  2000 
guineas  to  Charles  James  Fox,  and  6000  to  the  Duke  of 
York  on  the  gambling-table  ;  and  he  once  detected  a  player 
using  false  dice,  which  he  forthwith  seized  and  sent  to  Sir 
Charles  Bunbury,  the  racing  Dictator  of  his  day.  Being  the 
brother-in-law  of  Lord  Clare,  and  certainly  for  a  short  time 
in  the  Prince  of  Wales's  set,  he  was  elected  a  Member  of 
Parliament  when  such  ambitions  seemed  hopelessly  out  of 
reach  of  a  man  whose  fortune  had  been  squandered.     But 

96 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

his  career  is  smirched  by  the  acceptance  of  a  bribe  of  ;^2000 
to  vote  in  favour  of  the  Union,  and  he  died  at  the  early  age 
of  thirty-four,  exactly  four  months  after  the  Treaty  was 
signed  between  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  in  1800. 

No  such  blot  ever  stained  the  record  of  Dennis  O'Kelly. 
But  there  must  have  been  something  against  "  the  Colonel  " 
which  I  have  been  unable  to  discover,  or  otherwise  the 
Jockey  Club,  in  days  of  very  considerable  laxity,  would 
almost  certainly  have  elected  the  owner  of  Eclipse.  The 
point  gains  in  importance  when  it  is  realised  that  his 
nephew  and  heir,  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly,  was  elected  to 
the  Jockey  Club  almost  immediately  after  the  uncle's  death. 
But  I  am  not  inclined  to  exaggerate  the  villainy  which 
severer  censors  might  deduce  from  these  hard  facts.  The 
Jockey  Club  has  always  been,  and  always  will  be,  a  society 
which  elected  the  men  it  liked  without  much  reference  to 
claims  which  the  outside  public  might  consider  as  con- 
clusive. Such  considerations  may  have  more  weight  nowa- 
days when  the  Club's  jurisdiction  is  immeasurably  wider  in 
every  manifestation  of  racing  activity.  But  in  its  earliest 
days,  from  1752  to  the  date  of  O' Kelly's  death,  thirty-five 
years  later,  such  questions  had  not  arisen,  and  elections 
were  no  doubt  largely  determined  by  private  reasons  into 
which  it  may  be  just  as  well  that  the  historian  is  prevented 
from  entering  by  complete  lack  of  all  material. 

The  manuscript  draft  still  exists  of  the  "  Prince's 
Stakes,"  which  was  drawn  up  in  1784,  and  placed  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Jockey  Club,  for  "colts  8st.  3lbs.,  fillies  8st., 
New  Flat.  To  be  run  at  the  first  and  second  Spring 
Meetings  of  1785,  6,  and  7.  Sweepstakes  of  200  guineas. 
Half-forfeit."  The  list  of  entries  is  headed  by  "  George  P. 
(3)."  After  him  are  written  "  Bolton,  Earl  of  Abingdon  (3), 
Foley  (i),  Thos.  Bullock  (2),  Tho.  Douglas  (i),  Grosvenor  (3), 
Chartris  (2),  Wm.  Davis  (i),  Derby  (2),  D.  O'Kelly  (3),  Sher- 
borne (3),  Boringdon  (i),  M.  Lade  (i),  Tho.  Panton  (3), 
T.  Charles  Bunbury  (i),  Grafton  (i),  F.  Dawson  (i),  Cler- 
mont (2),  Egremont  (3),  and  Charles  Wyndham  (2)." 
This  is  a  good  epitome  of  the  racing-men  of  1784,  and  its 

97  G 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

chief  interest  for  these  pages  is  the  inclusion  of  the  name  of 
Dennis  O' Kelly,  who  died  on  December  28,  1787,  and  who 
had  just  won  the  Derby  for  the  second  time  when  this 
paper  was  put  up  at  Newmarket  for  signatures.  It  shows, 
at  any  rate,  that  Dennis  had  done  nothing  which  would 
prevent  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  Lord  Grosvenor,  or  Lord 
Clermont  racing  their  horses  against  his  ;  and  it  was 
impossible  to  say  as  much  as  this  for  the  Prince  of  Wales 
himself  in  1791  ;  but  of  this  I  shall  have  more  to  say  later 
on,  and  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  there  is  any  more 
evidence  for  the  verdict  of  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  which 
drove  the  Prince  from  Newmarket  for  ever,  than  there  is 
for  the  reasons  which  excluded  Dennis  O' Kelly  from  a  club 
whose  members  were  content  to  race  with  him. 

The  consideration  of  the  legendary  sedan-chair  has 
carried  us  on  a  little  too  fast  in  the  description  of  our  hero's 
life,  but  I  need  only  return  to  that  adventure  to  say  that  the 
dashing  young  Irishman,  whose  fortunes  began  in  the 
romantic  manner  sketched  in  my  Appendix,  was  speedily 
enabled  to  start  life  on  his  own  account  soon  after  the 
divorce  of  his  too  impressionable  patroness  had  deprived 
them  both  of  their  chief  source  of  income.  We  can  imagine 
him  spending  his  savings  with  a  fine  freedom  at  Vauxhall, 
or  at  the  playhouses,  the  tennis-courts,  the  gambling-tables 
and  billiard-rooms  of  London's  sporting  set.  He  never 
forgot  business  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  by  this  time 
he  had  already  made  the  acquaintance  of  such  men  as  the 
young  Duke  of  Richmond  or  Sir  William  Draper ;  but  he 
cannot  be  said  to  have  bought  his  experience  cheaply,  for  he 
was  soon  reduced  to  marking  games  he  once  had  played, 
and  shortly  afterwards  the  doom  he  could  avoid  no  longer 
fell  upon  him.  Where  such  fortunes  as  those  of  Lord  Foley 
or  "Alcibiades"  Jennings  were  insufficient,  it  was  not 
likely  that  the  restricted  total  acquired  by  the  poor  Irish 
squireen's  son  would  last  the  strain.  He  found  himself  in 
debt  and  penniless.  The  turn  of  the  tide  did  not  come  till 
he  had  been  imprisoned  in  the  Fleet. 

Even   here   his  high  spirits   and   determination    never 

98 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

forsook  him.  According  to  the  custom  of  the  place,  his 
utter  lack  of  money  led  to  the  necessity  for  work  of  some 
kind.  He  threw  himself  into  whatever  had  to  be  done  with 
so  much  vigour  and  success  that  his  fellow-prisoners  are 
said  to  have  gratified  him  with  the  courtesy-title  of  "Count  " 
by  the  mandate  of  the  "  king"  they  elected  to  preside  over 
that  strangely-assorted  company.  The  title,  in  any  case, 
stuck  to  Dennis  all  his  life,  even  in  such  sedate  publications 
as  Tassie's  list  of  medallions,  from  which  I  have  already 
quoted  ;  and  I  think  it  is  hardly  probable  that  he  ever 
wasted  money  in  purchasing  it  abroad,  as  was  sometimes 
the  custom  then.  He  knew  very  well  that  a  military  flavour 
to  his  name  would  suit  the  case  much  better,  and  no  doubt 
it  was  on  the  colonelcy  he  certainly  obtained  that  he 
expended  whatever  sums  he  considered  advisable  for  the 
adornment  of  his  patronymic. 

But  something  else  of  a  far  more  real  and  lasting  nature 
resulted  from  his  sojourn  in  the  Fleet  Prison  ;  for  there  he 
met  Charlotte  Hayes,  who  has  sometimes  had  the  reputation 
of  being  more  like  Thackeray's  "  Catherine"  than  I  think  is 
probable,  though  I  fear  I  cannot  go  further  than  a  warning 
against  exaggeration.  She  immediately  realised  O'Kelly's 
qualities,  and,  whatever  she  may  have  been  before,  she  was 
certainly  faithful  to  him  ever  afterwards,  from  the  moment 
when  they  matured  their  plans  in  prison  for  the  freedom 
that  came  sooner  than  they  thought.  Her  name  occurs  as 
"Charlotte  Hayes,  called  Mrs.  O'Kelly,  who  now  lives  and 
resides  with  me "  in  the  will  of  Dennis,  who  left  her  an 
annuity  of  ;^400,  secured  on  his  estate  of  Cannons,  which 
was  left  to  her  use  for  life ;  and  whenever  there  was  any 
question  of  this  property  changing  hands,  that  annuity  is 
invariably  and  most  carefully  safeguarded.  As  is  the  habit 
of  annuitants,  she  lived  long  and  died  at  over  eighty-five  in 
the  second  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Her  position 
is  recognised  in  numbers  of  legal  documents.  In  1808, 
for  instance,  a  lawyer's  draft  contains  the  statement  that 
the  Cannons  estate  stood  charged  with  "  the  payment  of  an 
annuity  or  rent  charge  of  four  hundred  pounds  a  year  to 

99 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Mrs.  Charlotte  O'Kelly,  widow  of  the  late  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
Esq."  ;  and  in  the  auctioneer's  catalogue  of  Cannons  in  i8i  i 
the  annuity  is  again  mentioned,  and  the  lady's  age  stated 
at  "  about  85  years." 

It  was  the  death  of  George  II.  in  London,  on  October  25, 
1760,  that  liberated  Dennis  O'Kelly  and  his  Charlotte  from 
their  durance.  She  may  not  have  been  in  the  front  rank  of 
"  those  pervading  Phrynes  whose  charms  the  painters  de- 
lighted to  honour":  Kitty  Fisher,  Nelly  O'Brien,  who 
entertained  "this  side  the  Star  and  Garter"  in  Pall  Mall; 
Polly  Kennedy,  whose  attractions  were  persuasive  enough 
to  save  her  brothers  from  the  hangman ;  Annie  Elliott, 
posing  as  Juno,  or  Nancy  Parsons,  whom  Horace  Walpole 
describes  as  "the  Duke  of  Grafton's  Mrs.  Horton, 
the  Duke  of  Dorset's  Mrs.  Horton,  everybody's  Mrs. 
Horton."  But  Charlotte  seems  to  have  had  the  great 
merit  of  a  sincere  fidelity  which  made  every  one  forget 
her  origins,  and  the  affection  undoubtedly  felt  for  her  by 
Dennis  was  shared  by  the  rest  of  his  family  before  he 
died.  It  is  probable  that  when  they  began  their  freedom 
together  in  London,  he  divided  his  time  chiefly  between 
the  equally  fashionable  pursuits  of  gambling  and  horse- 
racing. 

A  contemporary  admirer  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
(who  died  in  October  1765)  describes  that  His  Royal  High- 
ness's  efforts  to  improve  racing  were  not  effected  •"  without 
an  immensity  of  expense  and  an  incredible  succession  of 
losses  to  the  sharks,  greeks  and  blacklegs  of  that  time,  by 
whom  H.R.H.  was  surrounded,  and  of  course  incessantly 
pillaged."  The  common  adventurer  had  no  doubt  an  easier 
time  then  than  he  has  now.  One  reason  may  have  been 
that  the  professional  bookmaker  had  not  yet  arisen  in  his 
vociferous  (but  mainly  honest)  glory ;  and  the  professional 
backer  was  as  yet  only  sketched  in  the  universal  brain  of 
Charles  Fox,  who  once,  at  a  late  sitting  in  White's,  "  planned 
out  a  kind  of  itinerent  trade  "  (Selwyn  is  writing  to  Lord 
Carlisle)  "  which  was  going  from  horse-race  to  horse-race, 
and  so  by  knowing  the  value  and  speed  of  all  the  horses  in 

100 


TRICKS  OF  THE  TURF 
By  Jioirlaiidson 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

England  to  acquire  a  certain  fortune."  Unfortunately,  the 
horse  was  by  no  means  the  only  "  instrument  of  gambling" 
among  gentlemen  of  that  day.  They  betted  on  anything 
with  the  greatest  recklessness  and  unanimity.  Whist  and 
casino  were  taught  in  many  of  the  girl-schools  of  1797. 
People  played  cards  all  their  lives,  and,  as  an  irreverent 
wag  observed,  they  died  in  joyful  expectation  of  the  last 
trump.  The  organisation  of  a  gambling  hell  has  been 
excellently  reconstructed  by  Besant. 

First  came  the  Commissioner  who  audited  the  accounts, 
with  a  Director  under  him  to  superintend  the  Rooms,  and 
an  Operator  to  deal  cards.  Then  there  were  Croupiers 
who  gathered  money  for  the  bank  ;  Puffs  to  decoy  the 
players  ;  a  Clerk  to  check  the  Puffs  ;  a  Flasher  to  "  swear 
the  Bank  was  broke  ;  "  a  Dunner  to  get  losses  out  of  needy 
gentlemen  ;  a  Captain  to  fight  any  discontented  player  ; 
a  sharp  Attorney  to  draw  up  any  necessary  deeds  whenever 
wanted  ;  Waiters  for  the  candles  and  refreshments  ;  Ushers 
to  conduct  the  company  up  and  down  ;  Runners  who  got  half 
a  guinea  every  time  they  warned  the  Porter  that  there  were 
Constables  without,  and  a  whole  gang  of  unattached  ruffians 
in  the  shape  of  link-boys,  coachmen,  chairmen,  drawers, 
common  bail  affidavit  men,  and  bravoes  of  the  lowest  type. 
Hogarth  adds  a  characteristic  touch  in  the  highwayman, 
whose  pistols  peep  out  of  his  pocket,  waiting  by  the  fireside 
till  the  heaviest  winner  goes,  so  that  he  may  recoup  his 
own  losses  in  the  speediest  fashion.  Rowlandson  and 
Gilray  have  left  numbers  of  pictures  of  the  scene  to  which 
such  men  as  Dick  England,  Tetherington,  Hall,  and  others 
formed  a  background.  At  John  Medley's  (sometimes  called 
Jack  Munday)  who  kept  the  coffee-house  in  Round  Court, 
Strand,  it  was  always  possible  to  get  a  bet,  from  five 
pounds  to  five  hundred.  On  Sundays  there  was  a  "  play 
or  pay  "  dinner  at  45.  a-head,  calculated  for  the  return  of 
riders  from  Rotten  Row.  John  Lawrence  (who  wrote  a 
good  book  on  the  horse)  often  visited  it ;  and  the  strange 
thing  is  that  aristocrats,  from  Princes  of  the  royal  blood 
downwards,  were  quite  content  to  lose  money  there  as  well. 

lOI 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

The  Turf  had  its  blacklegs  too.  Quick  and  Castle  are 
probably  the  earliest  examples  known  of  "  undesirable 
persons  "who  were  "warned  off"  by  the  public  (in  1773) 
before  the  Jockey  Club  had  time  to  take  action  of  its  own.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  the  connection  of  the  Jockey  Club  with 
betting  is  too  delicate  a  question  for  these  pages,  which  are 
meant  to  be  a  record  rather  than  a  criticism  ;  but  the 
attitude  of  the  Duke  of  Portland  to  the  whole  matter  may 
be    taken  as  that  of  common  sense  and  justice.      He   no 


i^^^ 


THE    BETTING    POST.       BY  ROWLANDSON 


doubt  recognises  that  without  betting  of  some  kind  or 
another  there  would  be  very  little  racing — a  result  that 
would  be  deeply  deplored  by  many  who  are  loudest  in 
attacking  the  evils  of  "  the  Ring."  But  he  also  sees  that 
betting  has,  owing  to  various  modern  developments, 
reached  a  stage  very  different  from  that  known  at  any 
period  of  its  history. 

In  the  old  days  people  used  to  bet  with  other  men  of 
their  acquaintance.  By  degrees  owners  found  their  own 
circle  rather  too  restricted,  and  as  they  were  naturally  more 
ready  to  support  their  own  horses  than  to  decry  their 
friends',  they  were  glad  enough  to  find  a  class  of  persons 
ready  to  bet  against  anything.  That  class  had  been 
supplied  to  meet  the  inevitable  demand.     The  Jockey  Club 


102 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

very  possibly  never  realised  what  the  result  of  toleration  in 
the  early  days  would  be.  In  any  case  they  not  only  tolerated 
but  encouraged  the  bookmaker.  Their  one  real  objection 
seemed  to  be  the  tout,  his  natural  and  inevitable  corollary. 
They  ought  now  to  go  a  little  farther,  and  if  they  do  not 
do  so  themselves,  unnecessary  and  exaggerated  legislation 
will  slip  in  and  do  incalculable  damage.  Before  it  is  too 
late,  the  gentlemen  responsible  for  the  good  conduct  of  the 
Turf  must  devise  some  means  for  stopping  the  widespread 
loss  and  misery  caused  by  people  betting  who  never  saw  the 
horse  they  back,  would  not  know  him  if  they  did  see  him, 
and  know  nothing  about  his  powers  or  preparation.  Some 
system  of  licensing  bookmakers  seems  necessary.  Unless 
the  Jockey  Club  ceases  its  transparent  legal  fiction  about 
"  taking  no  cognisance  of  betting,"  disorder  of  the  most 
serious  kind  is  sure  to  follow  ;  for  damage  cannot  fail  to  be 
inflicted  on  the  sport  they  exist  to  foster  and  improve,  if 
legislation  interferes  too  far  with  the  liberty  of  the  subject. 

Already  a  Bill  has  been  passed  (Dec.  1906)  by  which 
a  man  can  be  walked  off  to  prison  like  a  common  felon 
because  he  makes  a  bet,  and  can  be  arrested  without  a 
warrant  after  a  fashion  unknown  to  any  Irish  Coercion  Act 
passed  by  Parliament  during  the  last  twenty  years.  If 
these  drastic  and  painful  provisions  be  sufficiently  enforced 
to  suppress  betting  on  horse-races,  the  gambling  spirit  will 
take  much  less  excusable  forms.  "  Naturam  expellas 
furca.  ..."  It  has  been  found  before,  that  the  undue 
repression  of  certain  forms  of  natural  instinct  only  results  in 
fresh  and  far  less  desirable  complications.  If  this  should 
happen  in  the  case  of  betting,  there  will  soon  be  a  heavy 
price  to  pay  for  the  privileges  of  an  autocratic  policeman 
who  may  not  be  wholly  aware  of  all  the  facts  he  has  to 
face,  and  for  the  addition  of  sixteen  hitherto  unknown 
offences  to  our  criminal  law.  It  may  be  questioned  whether 
the  remedy  will  not  prove  worse  than  the  disease. 

O'Kelly's  friends  were  innocent  of  "  S.  P."  wires,  or 
"  sporting  tipsters  "  in  a  morning  paper,  or  telephones,  or 
many  a  modern  means  of  backsliding.     They  were  exploit- 

103 


V^'^ 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


ing  what  was  practically  a  new  country  discovered  about 
1750  ;  and  they  found  something  more  exciting  than  cock- 
fighting,  less  dangerous  than  loaded  dice,  and  sometimes 
as  lucrative  as  either  : — "  the  high-mettled  racer."  The 
Turf  was  just  beginning  to  get  that  organisation  which 
is  typified  by  the  "classic"  races,  by  such  names  as 
Weatherby  and  Tattersall,  by  the  first  regular  judge  at 
Newmarket  (John  Hilton,  appointed  in  1772),  by  other  such 
officials  as  a  Clerk  of  the  Scales  (John  Hammond),  and  a 
starter  (Samuel  Betts).  It  only  needed  such  support  as 
that  given  by  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  and  the  Prince  of 
Wales  (afterwards  George  IV.)  to  establish  racing  not  merely 
as  a  fashionable  pursuit,  but  as  an  organised  amusement. 
And  from  all  this  O'Kelly  and  his  friends  knew  well  how 
to  make  their  profit. 

They  soon  realised  that  fortune,  if  not  fame,  was  possible 
even  to  a  man  who,  far  from  having  no  royal  blood  in  his 
veins,  had  no  handle  to  his  name  at  all.  It  must  have  been 
a  strain  to  some  members  of  the  Jockey  Club  to  admit  even 
so  good  a  sportsman  as  John  Pratt  of  Askrigg.  They  could 
never  swallow  Mr.  Martindale,  though  Regulus  had  long  ago 
wiped  out  the  blemish  of  the  saddler's  shop.  When  two 
St.  Legers  could  be  won  by  an  ex-stable  boy,  the  Mr. 
Hutchinson  who  bred  Hambletonian  as  well,  it  was  difficult 
to  remain  wholly  exclusive;  and  the  toast  of  "The 
Hammer  and  Highflyer"  was  cheered  by  many  a  man  whose 
father  would  never  have  entered  the  dining-room  of  an 
auctioneer.  The  accidents  of  breeding  assisted  the  same 
process  of  slow  but  steady  democratisation  ;  for  a  first-rate 
mare  may  suddenly  turn  up  in  the  possession  of  any  owner 
of  good  blood-stock.  Penelope,  who  won  eighteen  races  for 
the  Duke  of  Grafton,  was  the  dam  of  Whalebone,  IVeb, 
IVoful,  and  Whisker.  Out  of  another  mare,  who  Avas  so 
crippled  that  she  could  never  race,  was  born  a  common- 
looking  son  who  was  never  in  perfect  health  and  was  very 
often  lame  ;  and  his  name  was  Gladiateur.  The  famous 
Tartar  mare,  to  prove  the  point  still  further,  was  sold  so 
cheaply  to  O'Kelly  that  she  turned  out  to  be  worth  as  many 

104 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

thousands  after  she  was  twenty  as  she  had  cost  sovereigns 
to  her  clever  purchaser.  But  of  course  none  of  these 
instances  come  up  to  the  combination  of  foresight  and  good 
fortune  which  resulted  in  the  possession  of  Eclipse ;  and  I 
should  like  to  think  that  this  good  horse  worked  a  kind  of 
gradual  regeneration,  wherever  it  was  necessary,  in  his 
owner  which  completed  the  possibilities  of  Dennis  as  good 
company  both  for  my  readers  and  for  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's 
friends.  In  any  case  it  is  all  to  his  credit  that  a  certain 
ingrained  virility  of  nature  enabled  him  to  triumph  over 
the  undoubted  drawbacks  of  the  beginning  of  his  career,  and 
to  own,  before  its  close,  not  merely  the  finest  horse,  but  the 
best  stud,  and  one  of  the  best  estates  in  England. 

There  are  just  a  few  traces  of  Dennis  before  Eclipse 
brought  his  name  into  prominence,  which  must  be  men- 
tioned here,  for  they  show  that  he  reached  a  certain  measure 
of  prosperity  before  the  son  of  Marske  and  Spiletta  com- 
pleted his  good  fortune,  whether  he  obtained  it  by  keeping 
a  gambling-room,  which  several  well-known  members  of  the 
aristocracy  had  done  as  well,  or  whether — as  has  sometimes 
been  darkly  hinted — he  profited  by  less  excusable  invest- 
ments on  the  part  of  Charlotte,  of  which  we  have  no  proof 
whatever. 

The  first  manuscript  referring  to  him  which  I  have  been 
able  to  discover  shows  that  he  had  bought  a  house  near 
Willesden  by  1766.     It  runs  as  follows  : 

May  15,  1766. — Received  from  Dennis  O'Keily,  Esq.,  the  sum  of 
seventy-one  pounds  as  part  of  the  consideration  for  the  freehold  estate 
in  the  parish  of  Willesden  in  y<^  County  of  Middlesex  which  I  promise 
to  have  conveyed  and  executed  for  him  in  ten  days  from  the  date 
hereof.  The  conditions  of  this  is  that  Mr.  Benjamin  Browne  is  to 
have  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds  for  the  aforesaid  estate 

By  me,  Benj.  Browne. 
Witness :  R.  Byrne. 

].  M.  Halsy. 

The  next  document  is  the  one  from  which  his  signature 
is  reproduced,  and  that  alone  shows  a  man  of  education 
whose  handwriting  was  better   than  that  of  most  of  his 

105 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

friends.  It  is  the  grant  of  annuity  arranged  by  an  indenture 
drawn  up  on  December  ii,  1769,  between  "  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
of  the  Parish  of  St.  James's,  Westminster,  in  the  County 
of  Middlesex,  Esquire,  of  the  one  part,  and  John  Sherwood, 
of  Shadwell,  in  the  said  County  of  Middlesex,  Esquire,  of 
the  other  part."  By  this  instrument  Sherwood  lends  O'Kelly 
_;;^I500  in  consideration  of  an  annuity  of  ;^ioo  a  year  for  life, 
secured  by  O'Kelly's  house  in  "  Clergy  "  (?  Clarges)  Street,  in 
the  Parish  of  St.  James's,  in  which  Robert  Tilson  Jean  was 
living,  and  his  house  in  Marlborough  Street,  where  he  lived 
himself,  and  also  his  house  at  Clay  Hill,  near  Epsom,  "  in 
the  parish  of  Ebbisham,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,"  then 
in  his  occupation.  On  the  back  of  the  indenture  is  the 
receipt  for  the  repayment  of  the  ;;^i5oo  in  1775. 

Several  interesting  facts  appear  from  this  document. 
To  begin  with,  it  is  clear  that  before  Eclipse  ever  raced 
upon  "  the  scented  turf  of  Epsom  Downs,"  O'Kelly  had  a 
house  and  grounds  there  not  far  from  the  site  of  Sherwood's 
establishment  to-day.  This  was  convenient,  both  for  what 
was  then  used  as  the  saddling  enclosure,  and  for  the  betting 
ring,  which  were  on  opposite  sides  of  the  course  near  the 
start,  and  I  shall  have  more  to  say  of  the  Clay  Hill  property 
later  on.  For  the  present  the  indenture  just  quoted  is 
conclusive  evidence  that,  when  William  Wildman  tried 
Eclipse  over  this  course  in  1769,  O'Kelly  had  a  house  close 
by,  and  probably  had  racing  stables  too  ;  for  there  were 
certainly  all  the  appurtenances  of  a  regular  stud  farm  there, 
managed  by  his  brother  Philip,  for  some  years  after  the 
death  of  Dennis.  Eclipses  first  race  was  in  May  1769. 
Before  1770  was  over,  O'Kelly  had  bought  him.  Even  if 
the  1750  guineas  cash,  which  has  been  mentioned,  was 
"without  contingencies,"  the  purchase  shows  that  O'Kelly 
was  already  a  man  of  substance,  and  it  stands  in  racing 
history  as  bold  a  deal  as  M.  Blanc's  sensational  purchase  of 
Elying  Fox,  with  the  additional  virtue  that  it  was  based  on 
far  less  trustworthy  statistics.  It  also  involved  far  less 
possibilities  of  recouping  the  original  outlay.  But  O'Kelly 
proved  himself  quite  equal  to  the  task,  and  in  fulfilling  it 

106 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

he  laid  the  English  Turf  under  immortal  obligations  to  him 
from  the  very  moment  when  the  first  of  Eclipse  s  get,  the 
grey  colt  Horizon  (out  of  Clio,  by  Yotmg  Cade,)  won  390 
guineas  as  a  two-year-old  at  Abingdon  in  1774.  That  good 
sire's  blood  was  in  three  winners  of  the  Derby  (1781,  3,  and 
4)  and  one  of  the  Oaks  (1787),  and  through  such  splendid 
sons  as  PolSos,  King  Fergus,  Joe  Andrews,  Mercnry  and 
Alexander,  it  appears  in  the  pedigree  of  all  the  best  English 
winners  on  the  turf  to-day. 

O'Kelly's  subsequent  transactions  showed  alike  his  good 
sense  and  his  diplomacy.  He  bought  Scaramouch  (by 
Snap)  at  the  Duke  of  Kingston's  sale  in  1774.  He  sold 
Gmipowder  (by  Eclipse)  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who  won 
the  Jockey  Club  Plate  with  him  in  1788.  He  bought 
Herod  mares  whenever  he  could  get  them,  with  the  same 
persistency  as  Mr.  Tattersall  searched  for  the  Eclipse  mares 
which,  in  his  opinion,  only  existed  to  provide  mates  for 
Highflyer.  In  Brutus,  Badger  (or  Ploughboy),  Young 
Gimcrack,  Atom,  Bamboo  (by  Scrub),  Tiny,  Milksop,  and 
others,  he  owned  some  of  the  best  horses  of  the  day,  trained 
them  at  his  stables  near  Epsom,  and  won  nearly  all  the 
Royal  Plates  and  "  give  and  take  "  races  in  every  part  of  the 
country.  Though  not  able  to  make  very  much  out  oi  Eclipse  s 
actual  races,  he  cleared  at  least  ^^25,000  over  him  as  a  sire, 
and  he  got  so  good  a  start  that  he  never  once  looked  back. 
His  success  on  the  turf,  in  fact,  was  even  greater  than  it 
had  been  at  the  gaming-tables ;  and  both  paid  him  well. 

"There  was  a  good  deal  of  crossing  and  unfair  work  among  the 
inferior  jockeys  in  old  times" — writes  "The  Druid" — "which  would 
be  more  heavily  noticed  now,  and  in  fact  it  was  often  thought  rather 
a  good  joke  than  otherwise.  Captain  O'Kelly,  whose  definition  of  'the 
blacklegged  fraternity  '  took  such  a  very  sweeping  range,  expressed 
his  sentiments  on  the  point  at  the  Abingdon  race  ordinary  (1775)  when 
the  terms  of  a  300  gs.  match  were  being  adjusted,  and  he  was  requested 
to  stand  half.  '  No,'  he  roared  ;  '  but  if  the  match  had  been  made 
cross  and  jostle  as  I  proposed,  I  would  have  stood  all  the  money  ;  and 
by  the  powers  I'd  have  brought  a  spalpeen  from  Newmarket,  no  higher 
than  a  twopenny  loaf,  that  should  have  driven  His  lordship's  horse  into 
the  furzes  and  kept  him  there  for  three  weeks.' " 

107 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

"  His  natural  shrewdness,"  says  an  eighteenth-century 
historian,  in  words  which  explain  "  the  Druid's  "  allusion, 
combined  with  indefatigable  industry  and  constant  atten- 
tion, "enabled  him  to  counteract  the  various  and  almost 
incredible  deceptions  then  in  constant  practice  in  the 
sporting  world."  His  originality  and  penetration  were 
also  responsible  for  much  of  what  was  put  down  too  exclu- 
sively to  luck  ;  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  anecdote, 
which  displays,  in  passing,  the  one  great  grievance  he  must 
have  cherished  to  the  end,  about  the  persistent  refusal  of 
the  Jockey  Club  to  admit  him  : 

The  better  to  expedite  his  own  superiority,  and  to  carry  his  well- 
planned  schemes  into  successful  execution,  and  in  order  to  render 
himself  less  dependent  on  the  incredible  herd  of  necessitous  sharks 
that  surrounded  every  newly  initiated  adventurer,  he  determined  to 
retain,  exclusive  of  sudden  and  occasional  changes,  when  circumstances 
required  it,  one  rider,  at  a  certain  annual  stipend,  to  ride  for  him 
whenever  ordered  so  to  do,  for  any  plate,  match  or  sweepstakes,  but 
with  the  privilege  of  riding,  for  any  other  person,  provided  he  (O' Kelly) 
had  no  horse  entered  to  run  for  the  same  prize.  Having  adjusted  such 
arrangement  in  his  own  mind,  and  fixed  upon  the  intended  object  of 
his  trust,  he  communicated  his  design,  and  entered  upon  negotiations  ; 
when  the  monied  terms  being  proposed,  he  not  only  instantly 
acquiesced,  but  voluntarily  offered  to  double  them,  provided  the  party 
would  enter  into  an  engagement,  and  bind  himself,  under  a  penalty, 
never  to  ride  for  any  of  the  black-legged  fraternity.  The  consenting 
jockey  saying,  '  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  who  the  captain  meant  by 
the  black-legged  fraternity  ; '  he  instantly  replied  with  his  usual  energy, 

'  O my  dear,  and  I'll  soon  make  you  understand  who  I  mean  by  the 

black-legged  fraternity  !  there's  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  the  Duke  of 
Dorset,  &c. ; '  naming  the  principal  members  of  the  Jockey  Club,  'and 
all  the  set  of  thaves  that  belong  to  the  humbug  societies,  and  bug  a  boo 
clubs,  where  they  can  meet,  and  rob  one  another  without  fear  of 
detection.' 

He  was  in  the  habit  of  carrying  a  great  number  of  bank  notes  in 
his  waistcoat  pockets,  crumpled  up  together  with  the  greatest  indiffer- 
ence. On  one  occasion  being  at  a  hazard  table  at  Windsor  during  the 
races,  a  person's  hand  was  observed  by  those  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  table,  just  in  the  act  of  drawing  some  notes  out  of  O'Kelly's  pocket. 
On  the  alarm  being  given,  the  delinquent  was  seized,  and  the  company 
were  anxious  that  the  offender  should  be  immediately  taken  before  a 

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DENNIS  O'KELLY 

magistrate  :  but  O'Kelly  very  coolly  seizing  him  by  the  collar,  kicked 
the  fellow  downstairs,  exclaiming,  '  'Twas  sufficient  punishment  to 
be  deprived  the  pleasure  of  keeping  company  with  jontlemen.' 

"Keeping  company"  was  one  of  O'Kelly's  chief  de- 
lights, and  with  the  help  of  the  faithful  Charlotte  Hayes 
he  made  Clay  Hill  at  Epsom  renowned  for  its  hospitality, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  "  Memoirs  "  already  quoted  : 

The  dispositions  of  Charlotte  and  the  Count's,  were  in  most 
respects  congenial,  but  in  nothing  did  they  more  entirely  vibrate,  than 
in  hospitality  and  good  living.  They  kept  open  house  during  the  time 
of  every  public  meeting ;  and  the  Count,  possessing,  among  other 
happy  talents,  that  of  reconciling  apparent  opposites,  contrived  to 
entertain  the  Peer  and  the  Black  Leg  at  the  same  table.  The  Duke  of 
Cumberland  and  Dick  England ;  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Jack 
Tetherington  ;  Lord  Egremont  and  Ned  Bishop  ;  Lord  Grosvenor  and 
Monsieur  Champreaux ;  the  Duke  of  Orleans  and  Jack  Stacie  ; 
Messieurs  Leech,  Piggot,  Davis,  Twycross,  &c.,  &c.,  &c.,  &c.,  were 
frequently  seen  at  the  same  table,  and  circulating  the  same  bottle  with 
equal  familiarity  and  merriment.  It  must,  however,  be  remarked,  to 
the  honour  of  the  host,  that  he  never,  on  any  account  or  pretence 
whatsoever,  permitted  play  or  bets  of  any  kind  to  be  made  at  his  table 
or  in  his  house. 

There  were  good  points  about  Dennis,  as  may  be  seen. 
I  do  not  think  his  refusal  to  bet  in  his  own  house  was 
merely  the  sanctimonious  parade  of  a  virtue  no  one  would 
suspect  to  be  sincere.  It  was  the  result  of  a  genuine  effort 
to  be  as  hospitable  as  possible  to  guests  in  a  higher  station 
of  life  than  his  own,  an  effort  to  put  away  for  the  moment 
everything  connected  with  his  former  career  which  might 
have  proved  a  legitimate  hindrance  to  the  harmony  of  the 
proceedings.  He  realised,  in  fact,  that  he  had  risen  in  the 
world,  and  had  a  natural  wish  to  avoid  reminding  his  new 
friends  of  his  beginnings ;  and  for  the  same  reason  he  put 
the  famous  proviso  about  his  nephew's  betting  in  his  will, 
a  place  where  its  publicity  was  never  likely  to  be  of 
advantage  to  himself,  and  where  its  enforcement  was  meant 
to  emphasise  that  the  member  of  the  Jockey  Club  (as  his 

109 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

nephew  and  heir  eventually  became)  was  a  very  different 
person  from  the  old  "  flashman "  of  Charlotte  Hayes. 
Had  he  been  merely  reckless,  his  motto,  after  the  Jockey 
Club's  refusals,  might  have  been  "  Flectere  si  nequeo 
superos  Acheronta  movebo."  He  might  have  played  the 
king  among  the  rascals.  It  is  to  his  credit  that  he  re- 
frained, and  took  his  own  line  steadfastly  towards  con- 
tinuous improvement. 

Besides  this,  he  was  always  ready  to  contribute  to 
charities,  without  distinction  of  country  and  religion.  He 
helped  his  friends  in  their  necessities.  He  called  his  family 
over  to  share  in  his  good  fortune,  and  appointed  his  brother 
Philip  superintendent  of  the  Clay  Hill  stables.  The  chosen 
heir  was  sent  abroad  to  make  the  Grand  Tour  in  Europe 
and  accustom  himself  to  that  refined  society  to  which  his 
uncle's  money  was  one  day  to  lead  him. 

I  have  already  explained  that  Dennis  O'Kelly  was 
occasionally  given  the  title  of  "  Count."  His  various 
military  prefixes  originated  in  a  militia  regiment  of  so 
extraordinary  a  character  that  no  sketch  of  the  Irishman's 
career  would  be  complete  without  some  mention  of  it. 
He  was  astute  enough  to  see  that  "Count"  would  not  do 
in  the  set  where  he  meant  to  make  his  money.  "  Colonel  " 
sounded  better.  The  women  liked  a  soldier.  A  colonel, 
therefore,  he  became  ;  but  only  after  a  regular  rise  from  the 
position  of  ensign  in  a  most  irregular  corps,  which  is 
described  in  my  Appendix. 

In  any  case  we  may  be  sure  that  O'Kelly  was  glad  to 
wear  a  uniform  in  town,  if  only  as  a  change  from  the  "  old 
round  hat  and  short  striped  Orleans  coat "  in  which  he 
was  seen  posing  as  the  oracle  of  the  betting-ring  at  Epsom 
in  1779. 

A  memorandum  written  and  signed  by  Mary  O'Kelly 
Grattan,  the  granddaughter  of  Dennis's  sister  Mary,  men- 
tions some  facts,  as  she  knew  them,  concerning  "  Colonel 
Dennis  O'Kelly  of  Cannons,  Co.  Middlesex,  Clay  Hill, 
Surrey,  and  Half  Moon  Street,  London.  .  .  .  He  was  a 
captain  in  the  English  army  and  served  in  America.     His 

no 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

commission  which   I   have,   as  Colonel    in  the    Middlesex 
militia,  bears  date  1782." 

The  date  seems  appropriate  enough,  as  it  is  the  year 
after  Cornwallis's  surrender  practically  ended  the  inglorious 
campaign  necessitated  by  the  American  Revolution  which 
began  in  1775;  and  in  1783  we  have  one  of  O'Kelly's  colts 
called  Vohmteev,  a  name  he  changed  to  Cornet  in  the 
Derby.  But  I  have  definite  traces  of  Dennis  O'Kelly  being 
in  England  so  often  between  1775  and  1781  that  I  can 
scarcely  imagine  how  he  fitted  in  a  campaign  across  the 
Atlantic,  where  George  Hanger,  a  compatriot  of  his,  and 
brother  to  Lord  Coleraine,  served  with  the  Landgrave  of 
Hesse  Cassel's  Hessian  Jaegers,  and  with  Tarleton's  Light 
Dragoons  in  1782.  The  "Affaire  Rochefort,"  mentioned  in 
my  Appendix,  is  one  of  the  proofs  that  Dennis  was  not 
often  absent  at  that  time  :  and  if  he  did  really  serve  in 
America  (which  I  am  inclined  to  doubt)  it  may  have  been  in 
the  more  satisfactory  fighting  of  the  French  and  Indian 
War  which  ended  with  the  cession  of  Canada  to  England 
at  the  Peace  of  Paris  in  1762.  It  seems  to  me  more 
likely — with  every  deference  to  his  collateral  descendant's 
memorandum — that  his  service  began  and  ended  in  the 
Middlesex  militia  which  gave  him  his  military  prefix,  whether 
the  "  Memoirs  "  quoted  in  the  Appendix  are  correct  or  not, 
in  the  astonishing  description  they  give  of  the  regiment.  His 
heir,  Andrew,  was  a  captain  in  the  Westminster  militia,  and 
his  purchase  of  the  Lt. -Colonelcy  is  dated  1795,  while  the 
Prince  interests  himself  in  his  change  of  regiment  in  1796. 
This  is  another  reason  why  mistakes  have  been  concerning 
the  two  persons  called  "  Colonel  O'Kelly."  It  was  with  the 
younger  man,  for  instance,  that  all  the  trouble  about  Lord 
Donegal  should  be  connected  which  is  usually  put  down  to 
the  uncle. 


Ill 


CHAPTER  VI 

DENNIS  O'KELLY  {continued) 

A  Dan  auditus  est  fremitus  equorum  ejus  ;  a  voce  hinnituum  pugnatorum  ejus 

commota  est  omnis  terra 

Part  II.— A  GOOD  FINISH 

The  Tartar  Mare — The  O'Kelly  Stud— Two  Derby  Winners— Eclipse' s  Sons 
— Weatherby's  Bill — Lord  Abingdon's  Bill — Tattersall's  Sale — Famous 
Sales  after  it — Charlotte  in  the  Marshalsea — Her  Annuity — Her  Remark- 
able Parrot— The  Royal  Family  in  Church — The  Parrot's  Death — The 
Drive  to  Edgeware — The  Estate  of  Cannons — The  Duke  of  Chandos — 
Whitchurch  or  Stanmore  Parva — Handel's  Anthems — Cannons  Park — 
Particulars  of  the  Sale — Dennis  O'Kelly's  Will — His  Character. 

'T~pCLIPSE  was  not  the  only  sensible  purchase  Dennis 
hi  O'Kelly  made  ;  and  his  possession  of  the  celebrated 
—  Tartar  mare  shows  that  his  racing  stud  was  chosen 
with  very  remarkable  sagacity.  Among  his  racing  memo- 
randa is  a  very  interesting  manuscript  setting  forth  her 
merits.  The  youngest  of  the  ten  chestnuts  (five  colts 
and  five  fillies,  with  Jupiter  and  Mercury  among  them) 
which  she  threw  to  Eclipse  from  1772  to  1785  was  Queen 
Mab  who  was  in  Lord  Strathmore's  stud  from  1795  to  1808, 
tended  by  John  Smith,  who  gave  her  history  at  Streatlam 
to  "  the  Druid."  The  contemporary  memoranda  about  her 
dam  are  as  follows  : 

"  From  the  Old  Tartar  Marc  Col.   O'Kelly  bred  four  colts  by  Eclipse 
sold  as  follows  : 

Antiochus  to  Sir  John  Lade  for 1500  gs. 

Jupiter  io  Mr.  Douglas 1000  gs. 

112 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

Adonis  to  Sir  John  Lade looo  gs. 

Mercury  to  Lord  Egremont 2500  gs. 

Besides  this,   Mr.   Graham    offered   the   Colonel  5000 

guineas  for  Volunteer. 
Of  her  daughters^  rt'Mifs  was  sold  to  Lord  Egremont  for  .     1200  gs. 

and  produced  from  1782  to  1797  five  colts  and  seven 

fillies. 
The  dam  of  Crazy  was  sold  to  Mr.  Broadhurst  for  .       300  gs. 

and  a  Herod  mare,  and  produced  from  1786  to  1792 

two  colts  and  two  fillies. 
Lily  of  the  Valley  was  sold  to  the  Duke  of  Bedford  for         700  gs. 

and  produced  from  1785  to  1799  five  colts  and  six 

fillies. 
Boniface  was  sold  to  Mr.  Bullock  for       ....       250  gs. 

and  a  Herod  mare,  and  produced  from  1790  to  1799 

four  colts  and  five  fillies. 
Queen  Mab  was  sold  to  the  Hon.  George  Bowes  for        .      650  gs. 

and  produced  from  1790  to  1803  ten  colts  and  three 

fillies. 
This  Qjieen  Mab  was  the  last  foal  the  Old  Tartar  Marc  ever  had,  pro- 
duced when  she  was  thirty-six  years  of  age,  and  she  lived  two  year 
after  and  died  at  Cannons  in  1787." 

Among  the  rest  of  O'Kelly's  racing  stable,  I  have  already 
mentioned  Scaramouch  (by  Snap,  out  of  sister  to  Mirza) 
who  won  the  great  subscription  £,2>¥^  \os.,  5  yrs.,  Qst.,  4 
miles  at  York  in  August  1773.  O' Kelly  bought  him  at  the 
Duke  of  Kingston's  sale  at  Newmarket  in  July  1774,  but 
won  nothing  more  with  him.  The  first  of  the  classic  races 
in  which  I  find  O'Kelly's  name  is  the  Oaks  of  1779,  so  he 
began  as  soon  as  it  was  possible  ;  but  his  sister  to  PotSos,  by 
Eclipse,  ran  unplaced.  In  1780  his  b.  c.  Botidrow,  brother 
to  Vertimimts,  by  Eclipse,  ran  second  to  Sir  Charles  Bun- 
bury's  Dioined  in  the  first  Derby,  and  his  ch.  f.  Lily  of 
the  Valley,  sister  to  Vetius,  by  Eclipse,  was  fourth  in  the 
Oaks.  In  1781  O' Kelly  won  the  Derby  with  Young 
Eclipse,  by  Eclipse,  out  oijuno,  by  Spectator,  and  in  1 784, 
at  York,  the  same  horse  ran  third  to  Recovery  and  Monk,  4 
miles,  8st.,  six-year-olds,  for  His  Majesty's  hundred  guineas, 
after  which    his   fetlock-joint   was   dislocated.        In    1782 

113  H 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

O'Kelly's  ch.  c.  Confederate,  by  Conductor,  was  unplaced  for 
the  Derby,  but  he  bred  a  famous  mare  afterwards  known  as 
the  Confederate  filly.  In  1783  he  had  two  colts  in  the 
Derby,  which  was  full  of  Eclipses ;  for  his  b.  c.  Dungannon, 
by  Eclipse,  out  of  Aspasia,  was  second  ;  his  ch.  c.  Cornet 
(generally  known  as  Volunteer)  was  fifth  ;  and  the  race  was 
won  by  Mr.  Parker's  Saltrani,  by  Eclipse,  out  of  Virago,  by 
Snap.  In  the  same  season  O'Kelly's  Primrose,  by  Eclipse, 
ran  third  for  the  Oaks.  I  may  add  that  Dungannon  ran 
second  to  Phenomenon  in  the  Doncaster  Cup  next  year. 

In  1784  O'Kelly  won  his  second  Derby  with  Serjeant, 
by  Eclipse,  out  of  Aspasia,  by  Herod ;  and  I  have  seen 
Garrard's  bill  for  the  painting  of  that  celebrated  winner 
which  is  reproduced  in  these  pages  from  a  contemporary 
engraving.  Chaunter  and  Clarinet,  both  by  Eclipse,  ran 
fourth  and  unplaced  in  the  Derby  of  1785,  and  Bonny 
Face,  a  sister  of  Mercury,  was  fourth  for  the  Oaks  that 
season.  In  1786  O'Kelly's  Beau  Clincher  was  unplaced  in 
the  Derby,  as  was  his  famous  bay  filly  Scot  a,  by  Eclipse ; 
but  she  ran  third  for  the  Oaks.  Two  seconds  were  his 
record  in  the  last  year  of  his  life,  when  Attgusta,  hy  Eclipse, 
was  beaten  for  the  Oaks,  and  his  good  chestnut.  Gunpowder, 
by  Eclipse,  was  second  for  the  Derby  on  May  24,  1787. 
Before  that  December  was  over  Death  had  beaten  their 
owner  too. 

These  are  only  some  of  the  successes  which  illustrated 
Dennis  O'Kelly's  career  upon  the  Turf,  and  as  I  find  a  bill 
from  his  brother  Philip  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  which  begins 
in  1788,  we  may  fairly  argue  that  Dennis  had  several  deal- 
ings before  that  time  with  the  Prince,  who  was  very  intimate 
with  his  nephew  Andrew,  if  the  number  of  Royal  I.O.U.s 
he  bestowed  upon  him  may  be  taken  as  an  indication.  It 
is  also  more  than  likely  that  the  Irishman  would  be  well 
acquainted  with  such  habituds  of  Carlton  House  as  Hanger 
or  MacMahon ;  and  it  is  also  significant  that  Eclipse  s 
jockey  raced  in  scarlet  and  black  cap,  which  were  O'Kelly's 
colours  to  the  end,  and  were  singularly  like  the  colour  of 
dress  affected  by  the  royal  party.     It  may  be  added  that 

114 


■s. 


■s 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

the  Prince  was  his  own  master  by  1781,  and  opened 
Carlton  House  in  1784,  the  year  when  the  list  for  the 
"  Prince's  Stakes "  was  put  up  in  the  Jockey  Club  at 
Newmarket,  with  O'Kelly's  name  following  that  of"  George 
P."  among  all  the  aristocracy  of  the  Turf. 

I  have  reproduced  one  of  Weatherby's  receipts  to 
O'Kelly.  Here  is  another  which  shows  that  he  was  subscrib- 
ing to  the  Coffee  House  at  Newmarket  down  to  the  end  of 
his  life. 


1786 


1787 


To  Dennis  O'Kelly,  Esq" 


Subs"  to  Coffeehouse  July  Meeting 
do.     to         do.  Octo.  mgs- 

do.     to         do.  Spring  Mgs. 

do.    to  Calendar  1786 
do.  for  P.  O'Kelly  Esq.  84  &  85 
advertg.  Stallions  as  per  Bill 


23  Articles 


By  Cash     . 
J.W. 


.    0 

10 

6 

.       2 

12 

6 

.       2 

7 

0 

15 

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;£" 

9 

6 

.     2 

17 

6 

;£H 

7 

•     14 

7 

Another  of  these  racing  papers  that  shows  O'Kelly's 
prominence  on  the  Turf  at  this  time  is  connected  with  that 
Lord  Abingdon  who  bought  Marske.      It  runs  as  follows  : 

Endorsed .— "  The  Earl  of  Abingdons  Bill   due  for   Stakes  won  at 
Newmarket  from  1780  to  1786 — 

;£475     2     6 

Aplication  to  be  made  to  Lord  Abingdons  Executors." 

Stakes  won  at  Newmarket  by  Col'  O'Kelly,  due  from  the  Earl   of 
Abingdon. 

Gn« 

1780  Monday  2''  Ocf  meet=.  Forfeit  for  Colt  by  Marske  .     95 

1781  Thursday  i^' Spring  Meet- 4th  yr  of  a  Subscription        .     25 
Monday  i'"^  Ocf  Meet=  Forfeit  for  the  1400  G'        .         .     95 

115 


ECLIPSE  AND  OKELLY 

Gn» 

1785  Tuesday  1 '  Spring  Meet^^d"  for  1200  G'        .         .        .95 

1786  Monday  1='  Spring  Meet^  d"  for  i"^  Class  of  the  Prince's    47^ 
Tuesday  d°  d°  for  1200  G^        .        .         .95 

4S2|- 


;^475  26 
James  Weatherby. 

But  the  most  interesting  document  of  all,  perhaps,  in  this 
connection,  is  the  Catalogue  of  the  Sale  at  Tattersall's  after 
O'Kelly's  death.     Here  it  is,  textually  reprinted  : 

TO  BE  SOLD  BY  AUCTION,  BY  MESSRS.  TATTERSALLS, 

Near  Hyde-Park  Turnpike,  On  Monday  the   nth   of   February,  1788. 

Late  the  PROPERTY  of  COLONEL  O'KELLY,  Deceased, 

Precisely  at  Twelve  o'clock. 

Lot 

1.  SOLDIER,  a  Chesnut  Horse,  eight  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  dam 
by  Omar,  grand  dam  by  Sterling,  great  grand  dam  by  the  Godolphin 
Arabian,  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Stanier's  Arabian,  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by 
Pelham's  Barb,  gt  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Old  Spot,  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  grand 
dam  by  the  White-legged  Lowther  Barb,  out  of  the  Old  Vintner  Mare. 

2.  CHAUNTER,  a  Bay  Horse,  five  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  dam  by 
Herod,  out  of  an  own  sister  to  the  dam  of  Highflyer. 

3.  Scota,  a  Bay  Mare,  four  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  out  of  Chaunter's 
dam. 

4.  AUGUSTA,  a  Chesnut  Mare,  three  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  out  of 
Hardwick's  dam. 

5.  GUNPOWDER,  a  Chesnut  Horse,  three  years  old,  own  brother  to 
Soldier. 

6.  TROY,  a  Chesnut  Colt,  two  years  old,  got  by  Vertumnus,  dam  by 
South,  grand  dam  by  Lord  Godolphin's  White  Nose,  great  grand  dam 
by  a  full  brother  to  Mixbury. 

7.  KING  HEREMON,  a  Chesnut  Colt,  two  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse, 
dam  by  Herod,  grand  dam  by  old  Snap,  great  grand  dam  by  Regulus, 
gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Old  Partner,  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Woodcock,  gt 
gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Croft's  Bay  Barb,  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by 

116 


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DENNIS  O'KELLY 

Makeless,  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Brimmer,  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt  gt 
grand  dam  by  Dodsworth  out  of  the  Burton  Barb  Mare. 

8.  A  BAY  FILLY,  two  years  old,  own  Sister  to  Scota. 

9.  A  CHESNUT  FILLY,  two  years  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Tartar, 
grand  dam  by  Mogul,  great  grand  dam  by  Sweepstakes,  gt  gt  grand 
dam  by  Bay  Bolton,  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  the  Curwon  Bay  Barb 
gt  gt  gt  gt  grand  dam  by  Old  Spot,  out  of  the  Vintner  Mare. 

This  Filly  is  own  Sister  to  Volunteer  and  Mercury. 

ID.  A  CHESNUT  COLT,  one  year  old,  got  by  Eclipse  or  Vertumnus, 
out  of  Dungannon's  dam. 

11.  A  CHESNUT  COLT,  one  year  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  and  is  own 
Brother  to  King  Heremon. 

12.  A  CHESNUT  COLT,  one  year  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Antinous 
which  is  an  own  Sister  to  Euston. 

13.  A  BAY  COLT,  one  year  old,  got  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Spectator, 
grand  dam  by  Blank,  great  grand  dam  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  gt  gt 
grand  dam  by  Snip,  out  of  the  famous  Witherington  Mare. 

14.  A  BAY  FILLY,  one  year  old,  got  by  Jupiter,  dam  by  Herod. 

This  sale  was  attended  by  Mr.  Edmund  Bond,  the 
famous  veterinary  surgeon,  of  whom  I  shall  have  more  to 
say  in  speaking  of  the  death  and  dissection  of  Eclipse  in 
the  next  chapter.  I  have  before  me  the  catalogue  with  Mr. 
Bond's  signature  at  the  top,  and  the  prices  fetched  for  each 
lot  marked  on  the  margin  in  his  handwriting,  together  with 
the  valuation  made  by  a  certain  Dr.  Chitticks,  and  the 
reserve  price  he  placed  on  each.  As  far  as  I  can  make  out, 
Dr.  Chitticks  valued  the  fourteen  at  about  5000  guineas, 
and  put  on  a  reserve  of  nearly  3000.  The  total  they  fetched 
was  _;^832i,  and  the  biggest  prices  were  : 

No.    5.  Gunpowder        ......  1400  gs. 

No.  12.  Chesnut  colt 1150  „ 

No.  II.  Chesnut  colt 1120  „ 

No.    7.  Ki)ig  Heremon 750  „ 

No.  13.  Bay  colt 680  „ 

No.    3.  Scota 550  » 

No.    I.  Soldier 500  „ 

117 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Probably  few  businesses  have  made  such  strides  during 
the  last  fifty  years  as  Tattersall's.  A  five  days'  sale  of 
bloodstock  realising  upwards  of  120,000  guineas  would  have 
sounded  as  impossible  to  old  "Highflyer"  as  the  single 
bids  of  10,000  guineas  for  a  yearling,  12,600  for  a  brood- 
mare, or  37,500  for  a  horse  in  training.  But  money  is  not 
always  the  test  of  lasting  value,  and  if  blood  is  to  count  for 
anything  there  has  been  no  sale  since  those  of  O'Kelly  and 
his  nephew  which  has  had  so  great  an  effect  on  the  sub- 
sequent history  of  racing  until  we  come  to  Lord  Londes- 
borough's  at  Grimston,  in  i860,  when  Stockwell,  IVest 
Australian  and  Warlock  were  to  be  seen  in  the  same  ring, 
and  the  total  was  20,489  guineas.  Even  the  disposal  of 
the  royal  stud  when  Queen  Victoria  came  to  the  throne  in 
1837  only  reached  15,692  guineas,  and  Colonel  was  the 
only  one  that  fetched  four  figures.  Mr.  Edmund  Tatter- 
sall's greatest  sale  was  that  of  Lord  Falmouth's  stud  in 
1884,  including  Spinaway  and  Wheel  of  Fortune,  when 
75,640  guineas  were  realised.  But  prices  like  this  had 
never  been  heard  of  in  1788. 

After  some  years  of  dispensing  hospitality  to  racing 
men  at  Clay  Hill,  the  Epsom  property,  Charlotte  Hayes 
seems  to  have  left  it  entirely  to  the  care  of  Philip  O'Kelly, 
and  lived  in  the  house  at  the  corner  of  Half-Moon  Street 
and  Piccadilly,  which  also  belonged  to  Dennis.  A  docu- 
ment of  1777  shows  that,  up  to  this  date  at  any  rate,  she 
had  not  quite  succeeded  in  producing  order  and  economy 
in  her  expenditure. 

From  a  warrant  and  declaration  taken  out,  it  appears 
that  the  assignees  of  "  James  Spilsbury,  late  of  the  parish 
of  St.  Paul,  Covent  Garden,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex, 
haberdasher  and  warehouseman,  being  a  bankrupt,"  com- 
plain of  "  Charlotte  Hayes,  being  in  the  custody  of  the 
Marshal  of  the  Marshalsea  of  our  Lord  the  now  King  before 
the  King  himself,"  concerning  the  debt  which  she  acknow- 
ledged at  Westminster  on  August  i,  1776,  "for  the  use  and 
hire  of  certain   Cloaths  and  Garments  ...  let  to  hire  to 

the  said  Charlotte  at  her  special  interest  and  request  .  .  . 

118 


o 


o 


o    & 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

and  also  for  work  and  labour  before  that  time  done  per- 
formed and  bestowed  ...  in  making  fitting  adorning 
and  trimming  divers  Cloaths  Garments  and  Masquerade 
Dresses,"  and  for  other  work  at  divers  times  beforehand  ; 
and  whereas  "  the  said  Charlotte  not  regarding  her  said 
several  promises  and  undertakings  so  made  as  aforesaid 
but  contriving  and  fraudulently  intending  craftily  and 
subtilly  to  deceive  and  defraud  .  .  .  hath  not  yet  paid  the 
said  several  sums  of  money  or  any  part  thereof  ..."  the 
assignees  of  the  haberdasher  assess  "  their  damage  of  fifty 
pounds  and  thereupon  they  bring  their  suit. 

Michaelmas  Term  in  the  seventeenth  year 
of  the  reign  of  King  George  the  Third." 

We  may  take  it,  however,  that  this  was  an  accidental 
and  temporary  aberration  during  Dennis's  absence ;  for 
there  is  every  trace  of  staid  affection  and  of  real  regard  on 
both  sides  even  afterwards.  That  regard  was  shared,  as  I 
have  said,  by  other  members  of  the  family  besides  Dennis, 
who  makes  it  a  very  prominent  feature  of  his  will,  and  as 
there  is  not  much  more  to  say  about  Charlotte,  I  will  insert 
here  two  letters  which  concern  the  annuity  he  left  her. 
The  first  is  from  Messrs.  Janson  and  Harpur,  of  Cannon 
Row,  Westminster,  Solicitors  ;  the  second  from  herself. 
They  run  as  follows  : 

On  Aug.  II,  1798,  John  Janson  (Sol"')  writes  from  Westminster  : 
"  I  have  been  considering  about  the  charge  of  ;^400  a  year  to  Mrs. 
O'Kelly  for  her  life  &  I  think  the  best  way  will  be  to  sell  the  first  lot  of 
Cannons  subject  to  that  charge,  or  otherwise  that  a  sum  should  be  laid 
out  in  the  three  per  cents  for  securing  the  payment  of  it,  but  I  rather 
think  under  all  the  circumstances  you  had  better  sell  it  subject  to  that 
charge  as  I  understand  she  has  very  much  incumbered  it  &  may  create 
some  difficulties  in  the  Title,  and  that  there  may  be  least  sayd  about  it 
I  think  the  best  way  would  be  to  sell  it  so." 

Mrs.  C.  O'Kelly  to  Colonel  Andrew  O'Kelly, 

"Half  Moon  Street,  Piccadilly,  Feb.  1801. 
"My  Dear  Colonel 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  find  that  Mr.  Brockbank  makes  any  objection  to 
my  giving  you  the  releace  for  my  annuiteis  and  the  acknowlgement  of 

119 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

the  other  sums  mentiond  in  it  that  you  and  your  father  have  paid  and 
secured  to  [be]  paid  for  me  but  I  am  not  surprised  at  aney  thing  that 
such  a  man  as  Mr.  Brockbank  should  say  or  do  after  the  maner  he  has 
conducted  himself  towards  me  and  you — unjust  advantage  he  is 
attempting  to  take  of  you  against  my  wishes  or  concent — if  you  or  any 
other  person  has  the  smallest  doubtes  of  the  justness  of  what  is  con- 
tained in  the  releace  I  shall  be  ready  at  any  time  to  com  forward  and 
make  an  affidavit  of  those  circumstamces  which  Mr.  Brockbank  must  be 
perfectly  well  acquainted  with  as  I  have  at  diferant  times  stated  to  him 
monies  that  you  have  paid  for  me  and  I  have  give  him  money  to  keep 
the  transactions  of  my  selling  my  annuities  from  your  knowledg  and 
am  my  Dear  Colonel 

"  Yours  Sincerely 

"  C  :  O'KELLY." 

Both  these  letters  were  written  to  Dennis's  nephew, 
Andrew,  and  the  second  shows  that  Charlotte  was  not 
as  well  educated  as  was  the  owner  of  Eclipse.  But  she 
was  evidently  no  less  useful  a  helpmeet  for  all  that, 
and  one  of  her  greatest  distractions  in  the  Half-Moon 
Street  house  was  O' Kelly's  celebrated  parrot.  This 
wonderful  bird  has  been  several  times  described  by  con- 
temporary admirers. 

"Its  rare  and  astonishing  faculties,"  wrote  one  of  them  in  1788,  "if 
it  was  not  yet  alive  to  prove  their  reality,  would  scarcely  be  believed 
even  by  the  most  credulous.  It  was  hatched  in  Bristol,  and  is  perhaps 
as  singular  in  its  nativity  as  in  its  other  qualities.  It  cost  the  fond 
Count  fifty  guineas,  besides  the  expenses  of  bringing  to  Town,  and  we 
believe  ourselves  warranted  in  declaring  that  it  would  at  this  period 
produce  five  times  that  sum.  Mr.  Locke,  in  his  inimitable  discourse 
upon  innate  ideas,  gives  an  account  of  a  Peruvian  bird  of  this  species, 
which  he  mentions  as  a  wonderful  instance  of  instinctive  sagacity.  It 
would,  he  says,  not  only  repeat  everything  it  was  commanded,  but  it 
would  answer  many  questions  which  appeared  to  require  a  higher 
degree  of  perception.  He  states  a  few  instances,  and  then  concludes, 
with  proving  that  all  was  derived  from  example.  But  when  we  com- 
pare the  qualities  of  the  bird  in  question,  to  those  mentioned  by  the 
Philosopher,  we  must,  without  the  imputation  of  partiality,  give  it  the 
preference.  It  not  only  repeats  all  things,  but  answers  almost  every- 
thing ;  and,  so  strong  is  its  retention,  that  it  sings  a  variety  of  tunes, 

120 


Hi 
hi 

w 
b 

oi 

PS 


o 

CG 

m 
>• 

•«! 
P3 

» 

Eh 
O 

iJ 

K 

<! 

n 
o 

K 
El 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

with  exquisite  melody  !  it  beats  time  with  all  the  appearance  of  science, 
and,  wonderful  to  relate,  so  accurate  is  its  judgment,  that  if  by  chance 
(for  it  is  merely  so  when  it  happens)  it  mistakes  a  note,  it  reverts  to 
the  bar  where  the  mistake  occurred,  corrects  itself,  and,  still  beating 
regular  time,  goes  through  the  whole  with  miraculous  exactness.  In 
addition  to  this  we  must  add,  that  it  sings  whatever  air  is  desired,  and 
intimates  an  express  knowledge  of  every  request." 

This  parrot  is  mentioned  in  a  note  on  O'Kelly's  death 
in  the  "  Obituary  of  Considerable  Persons  "  published  by 
the  "Gentleman's  Magazine"  (vol.  Ivii.,  p.  1 196-7),  which 
adds  that  it  was  the  only  parrot  ever  born  in  England,  and 
that  it  was  left  to  "  Mrs.  O'Kelly"  in  his  will.  The  "  Dic- 
tionary of  National  Biography"  adds  the  interesting 
information  that  it  could  whistle  the  104th  Psalm,  which 
was  possibly  the  only  form  of  religious  service  appreciated 
by  O'Kelly  and  his  friends.  One  of  the  royal  Dukes,  at 
anyrate,  must  have  been  an  embarrassing  person  in  Church, 
as  the  following  "  conversation  "  shows  : 

Clergyman.  "Zacchaeus  stood  forth  and  said,  '  Behold,  Lord,  the 
half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor.'" 

The  Duke  (who  often  thought  aloud).  "Too  much,  too  much; 
don't  mind  tithes,  but  can't  stand  that." 

Clergyman  recites  a  commandment. 

The  Duke.  "  Quite  right,  quite  right,  but  very  difficult  sometimes." 

The  death  of  the  famous  parrot  is  mentioned  in  a  letter 
from  Philip  O'Kelly  to  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly,  with  W. 
Harvey,  Esquire,  72  St.  Stephen's  Green,  Dublin. 

Cannons,  Oct.  7,  1802. 
Dear  Andrew, 

I  received  your  letter  this  day  without  date  or  where  to  direct  to  you 
but  I  take  my  chance  &c.  We  are  all  hapy  to  [hear]  of  my  poor 
Witt's  speedy  recovery  and  we  are  in  hopes  he  will  have  no  relaps  and 
that  you  got  safe  to  him.  May  God  give  you  boath  good  helth  &c.  &c. 
but  it  tis  an  old  remark  that  one  truble  does  not  come  alone.  PoUey 
was  taking  ill  on  Saturday  night  last  with  a  purging  and  Bloody  Flox 

121 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

and  all  things  that  was  fit  for  her  was  got.  She  died  on  Sunday 
morning.  Dr.  Kennedy  got  her  to  have  her  stuffd  so  she  is  no  more. 
Charlett  is  in  the  same  state  as  ever.  I  sent  the  List  &c.  All  things 
here  is  well  and  goes  on  well  but  the  Needfull  is  wanting.  I  expect 
to  hear  from  you  every  day  as  you  promised  when  you  wrote  last 
you  would  in  a  day  or  two  &c. 

Pray  give  my  blessing,  your  mother's,  and  his  mother's,  to  Whitt 
and  God  bless  you  boath  and  pray  our  blessing  to  Whitt's  wife  &c.  I 
received  two  letters  from  Cap"  Jones,  one  from  Mr.  Juler,  and  one 
from  Whitt  directed  to  you  since  you  left  this. 

God  may  have  you  all  in 

His  Holy  Keeping, 

Your  Loving  fater 

P.  O'KELLY. 

About  1785  the  heir,  Andrew,  returned  from  his  "  Euro- 
pean education,"  and  caused  great  dismay  and  distress  to 
the  tender-hearted  Charlotte  by  an  accident  which  occurred 
soon  after  he  visited  his  father  at  Epsom.  While  galloping 
a  fast  thoroughbred  over  the  exercise-ground  he  was 
thrown,  and  the  animal  broke  its  leg,  but  fortunately 
Andrew  escaped  with  nothing  worse  than  a  bad  shaking. 
Whether  it  was  this  nephew's  return,  or  whether  the 
removal  of  his  beloved  Charlotte  to  Piccadilly  had  deter- 
mined O'Kelly  to  leave  Epsom  wholly  in  his  brother 
Philip's  hands,  and  find  another  country  house,  I  do  not 
know ;  but  it  must  have  been  about  this  time  that  Dennis 
O'Kelly  set  his  mind  on  the  purchase  of  the  Cannons 
estate  at  Stanmore  Parva,  or  Whitchurch,  near  Edgeware, 
which  is  within  an  hour's  drive  of  Half  Moon-Street  and 
Piccadilly. 

There  are  now  electric  cars  on  the  road  all  the  way  past 
the  Welsh  Harp  at  Hendon,  along  the  ancient  highway 
which  once  was  Watling  Street,  and  still  cuts  straight  as  an 
arrow  through  green  pastures  to  the  old-fashioned  High 
Street  of  Edgeware.  On  the  left,  at  the  very  end  of  this 
street,  is  the  house  of  Mr.  Tootell,  magistrates'  clerk  of 
Edgeware.     A  little  farther   on  to  the  left  are  the  lodge- 

122 


^  /   ■         /       /<7  7T      ^'-^-— ««^  ^^*/'  -*---^  ^.*^  sw 


>Y<^**^    ^Cffi.^^i^'y^  '^at/^'<y^^ 


LETTER  FROM  PHILIP  OKELLY  TO  HIS  SON  ANDREW,  CONCERNING  THE  PARROT'S  DEATH 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

gates  of  Cannons  Park,  which  probably  took  its  name,  like 
Canonbury,  in  Islington,  from  the  canons  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's. Beyond  them  stretches  the  estate  which  was  chosen 
by  James  Brydges,  Duke  of  Chandos,  for  that  famous 
mansion  derided  in  Pope's  verses,  for  which  a  mighty 
avenue  was  planned,  beginning  at  the  original  lodge-gates 
now  represented  by  two  classical  houses  on  the  north  side 
of  Cavendish  Square. 

The  Duke  is  an  interesting  character,  with  whom  I 
must  not  linger.  But  one  story  of  him  is  worth  telling 
shortly,  and  in  Mr.  Loftie's  "  London  Afternoons  "  you  may 
read  more.  He  was  passing  an  inn  in  his  postchaise  when 
he  saw  one  of  the  ostlers  ill-treating  a  girl.  She  was  pretty, 
and  the  Duke  could  "  use  his  mauleys,"  in  the  slang  of  the 
day ;  so  he  jumped  off  the  box,  flung  his  reins  to  his 
grooms,  polished  off  the  rascally  ostler  in  a  couple  of 
rounds,  and  drove  away  with  the  rescued  damsel.  He 
educated  her  and  brought  her  up  with  every  care  and 
attention,  until  she  married,  in  due  time,  a  wealthy  City 
merchant.  Soon  afterwards  her  husband  died,  and  one 
can  imagine  that  she  was  nothing  loth  to  add  a  handsome 
fortune  to  a  grateful  heart  when  she  married  the  Duke  of 
Chandos  himself,  and  completed  a  very  pretty  little 
"  romance  in  high  life,"  which  may  explain  a  good  deal 
of  the  first  house  at  Cannons  Park.  As  Master  of  the 
Ordnance  the  Duke  had  amassed  a  large  sum  of  money, 
and  he  spent  it  lavishly,  levelling  the  ground,  laying  out 
huge  gardens,  and  building  a  luxurious  and  most  extensive 
mansion  in  the  middle  of  them. 

It  sounds  a  little  like  Fouquet  and  Vaux-le-Vicomte ; 
for  it  was  all  sold  up,  and  bought  from  the  trustees  by 
Hallett,  the  grandfather  of  the  man  who  sold  it  to  O'Kelly. 
Great  alterations  followed,  however,  before  the  Duke's 
estate  came  to  the  owner  of  Eclipse.  The  mansion  itself 
and  most  of  its  magnificent  surroundings  were  pulled  down 
in  1747,  and  the  sale  of  the  materials  brought  more  than 
the  original  purchase-price.  The  staircase  is  now  in  Ches- 
terfield  House,   Mayfair,  where   its    magnificent  iron  and 

123 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

marble  work  was  set  up  before  1749,  with  the  crowned 
"  Cs  "  that  so  excellently  suited  their  new  master  ;  and  the 
avenue  lodges,  on  the  Edgeware  road,  were  turned  into  two 
comfortable  houses  by  the  astute  Hallett,  one  of  them  being 
almost  immediately  occupied  by  Sir  David  Lindsay. 

But  the   parish  church   of  Whitchurch   remains  as  a 
memorial  of  "James  Brydges  "  long  after  his  huge  palace 
has  disappeared.     Within  it  you  may  still  see  the  monu- 
ment set  up  after  his  death  in  1744  to  himself  and  his  two 
wives,  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Lake,  of  Cannons, 
and  Lydia  Catherine,  the  heroine  of  Mr.  Loftie's  story,  who 
was  daughter  of  John  Vanhattem  and  widow  of  Thomas 
Darall,  M.P.    Here,  too,  are  the  frescoes  by  Verrio,  Laguerre 
and  Belluchi,  with  which  the  Duke  of  Chandos  decorated  the 
church  he  practically  rebuilt  in  1715 ;  and  behind  four  beau- 
tifully carved  oak  columns,  which  strongly  recall  the  work  of 
Grinling  Gibbons  in  the  chapel  of  the  Chelsea  Pensioners, 
is  the  organ  upon  which  Handel  played  from  17 18  to  1721, 
and  composed  his  oratorio  of  "  Esther."     It  was  originally 
built  by  Gerard  Schmidt,  nephew  of  Father  Schmidt,  who 
died  in  1708,  and  though  it  has  been  restored  in  1877,  and 
had  a  new  keyboard  in  18 18,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  the  case  and  a  large  part  of  the  interior  are  original. 
Here  Handel  composed,  besides  "  Esther,"  the  "  Chandos 
Te  Deums  "  and  Anthems;  and  in   1721  he  gave  the  first 
performance  of  "  Acis  and  Galatea"  at  Cannons.     In  1790 
Dennis  O' Kelly's  nephew  revived  the  traditions  of  the  place 
by  giving  a  sacred  concert,  in  which  Signora  Storace  and 
Mrs.  Crouch  sang ;  and  in  the  churchyard  is  a  tombstone 
erected   to  William    Powell,    Parish   Clerk,  who   was   the 
"  Harmonious   Blacksmith."     Apart   from  this,  the  oldest 
relics  of  the  place  are  the  Gothic  mantelpieces  preserved  in 
the  "  Chandos  Arms,"  the  public-house  on  the  left  side  of 
Edgeware  High  Street  as  you  drive  in  from  London. 

The  park  itself  is  very  much  changed  from  what  it  was 
when  O' Kelly  bought  it,  owing  to  the  many  new  buildings 
which  have  been  put  up  of  late.  O' Kelly's  house,  however, 
still  stands  ;  a  more  modest  but  a  much  more  comfortable 

124 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

place  than  the  ducal  mansion  it  replaced,  with  considerable 
pretensions  to  well-proportioned  dignity  and  strength. 
Beneath  the  bow  windows  of  the  saloon  part  of  Eclipses 
body  was  buried  after  his  master  had  been  laid  to  rest  in 
the  church  rebuilt  by  the  Duke  of  Chandos.  In  the  house 
Mr.  Ducros  now  resides,  and  I  have  been  permitted 
to  take  a  photograph  of  the  front  door  through  which 
O'Kelly  so  often  passed  ;  but  the  much  older  lithographic 
sketch  of  the  house  and  the  famous  window  was  most  kindly 
given  me  by  Mrs.  Haig  Brown,  widow  of  the  late  Master 
of  the  Charterhouse,  who  was  visiting  one  of  the  lodges  in 
the  park  when  Lady  Plumer  lived  in  the  big  house.  That 
was  sixty  years  ago,  and  the  memories  of  Eclipse  were 
greener  than  they  are  now,  but  the  paintings  of  O'Kelly's 
stud,  done  for  him  by  Stubbs,  had  already  been  scattered  to 
Ireland,  Yorkshire,  and  elsewhere,  and  I  have  had  some 
difficulty  in  finding  the  best  of  them  for  reproduction  in 
these  pages. 

In  1786  Colonel  O'Kelly  offered  ;i^i 0,500  for  the  mansion 
and  its  immediate  surroundings ;  but  Mr.  William  Hallett, 
grandson  of  the  man  who  bought  the  Duke's  estate  and 
built  the  present  house,  wrote  that  this  was  not  enough, 
and  no  doubt  the  price  went  up.  In  any  case  the  negotia- 
tions were  concluded  entirely  to  Mr.  Hallett's  satisfaction, 
for  on  April  25,  1787,  he  writes  :  "  I  cannot  but  trouble  you 
with  a  letter  to  thank  you  for  the  polite  manner  in  which 
you  have  acted."  Here  is  the  front  page  of  the  catalogue  of 
sale,  of  which  the  details  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 
Evidently  it  was  not  all  sold  outright  in  November,  1785, 
and  O'Kelly's  offer  for  the  house  in  1786  was  a  result  of 
that. 


THE   PARTICULARS 

OF  THE  CAPITAL  AND  MUCH-DISTINGUISHED  FREEHOLD 
ESTATE,  CALLED  CANNONS,  DELIGHTFULLY  SITUATE 
AT  STANMORE,  in  theCounty  of  Middlesex,  Nine  Miles  from  London, 
Formerly  the  Seat  of  THE  DUKE  OF  CHANDOIS,  and  late  the 
property  of  WILLIAM   HALLET,  Esq.  (deceased  ;)  Comprising  Five 

125 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Hundred  and  Forty-seven  Acres,  one  Rood,  and  thirty-one  Perch,  of 
remarkable  rich  Meadow,  Arable  and  Wood  Land.  One  Hundred 
and  Twelve  Acres  of  which  is  a  fine  fertile  Paddock,  refreshed  by  two 
noble  Sheets  of  Water,  surrounded  by  a  capital  Brick  Wall  ;  A  neat, 
magnificent  PORTLAND  STONE  DWELLING-HOUSE,  With  suit- 
able Offices,  Pleasure-Grounds,  and  Gardens  ;  Placed  on  an  elevated 
Spot,  commanding  beautiful  Prospects  of  the  circumjacent  Country  ; 
The  Farms  are  very  compact,  and  left  to  unexceptionable  good 
Tenants  ;  The  whole  Annual  Value  (exclusive  of  House  and  Offices) 
Nine  Hundred  and  Fifty-four  Pounds,  fifteen  Shillings ;  Also  Sixty- 
three  Acres,  two  Rood,  and  thirty-three  Perch,  of  Copyhold  Land,  A 
genteel  Dwelling-House,  Offices,  Two  Messuages,  three  Tenements, 
and  Out-Buildings,  Situated  between  the  Seven  and  Eight  Mile  Stone 
from  LONDON;  in  EDGWARE  Town;  at  BROCKLEY-HILL ; 
and  m  the  Town  of  STANMORE ;  Let  at  One  Hundred  and  Seventy- 
two  Pounds,  eight  Shillings,  per  Ann.  Which  will  be  SOLD  by 
AUCTION,  by  MR.  SKINNER  and  Co.  On  WEDNESDAY  the 
i6th  of  November,  1785,  at  Twelve  o'Clock,  at  Garraway's  Coffee 
House,  'Change-Alley,  London,  in  Eight  Lots. 


To  be  viewed  by  Tickets,  which  may  be  had,  with  printed  Particulars, 
of  Mr.  Skinner  and  Co.  Aldersgate-Street ;  where  a  Plan  may 
be  seen  of  each  Lot  :  Particulars  may  be  also  had  of  Mr. 
Partyn,  of  Edgware. 

It  has  sometimes  been  thought  that  O' Kelly  outlived 

Eclipse,  but  this  is  not  so.    The  idea  may  have  arisen  from  an 

entry  in  the  "  Gentleman's  Magazine  "  (vol.  Ix.  p.  658),  which 

records  that  "  Dennis  O'Kelly,  Counsellor-at-Law,  was  shot 

on  July  14,  1790,  in  the  Quarry  field  near  Dublin  by  Captain 

Whalley  in  a  duel."     It  would  be  interesting  if  the  Irish 

adventurer  had   indeed  fallen  by  the  hand  of  "Jerusalem 

Whaley  ;  "  but  the  one  name  is  as  misleading  as  the  other  ; 

no  one  has  ever  accused  ''Eclipse'''  O'Kelly  of  having  been 

a  "counsellor-at-law,"  though  curiously  enough  it  seems  to 

be  established  that  he  did  fight  a  duel  with  one  of  his 

compatriots  on  a  question   which   would   nowadays   have 

been  settled  in  the  law  courts.     But,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 

O' Kelly's  romance  was  drawing  very  near  its  close  when 

Cannons    had    been    purchased.      He    died    of    gout    on 

126 


z 

< 

V 


DENNIS  O'KELLY 

December  28,  1787,  in  his  house  in  Piccadilly,  whither  he 
had  evidently  gone  to  be  near  Charlotte  at  the  end. 

The  contemporary  press  took  note  of  his  decease  in  the 
following  handsome  manner  : 

"The  late  Col'  O'Kelly  whose  death  has  been  the  Subject  of  much 
animadversion  as  well  in  Conversation  as  in  the  Daily  Papers,  has,  we 
are  informed,  left  behind  him  what  will  be  worthy  the  particular 
Animadversion  of  those  to  whom  it  Devolves  Property  to  a  very  large 
Amount.  As  he  was  advancing  in  years  he  had  for  a  long  time  previous 
to  his  decease  declared  a  resolution  of  quitting  the  Turf  whenever  he 
could  so  far  disengage  himself  from  it  as  to  be  able  to  quit  it  with  the 
same  Honor  he  had  conducted  himself  whilst  belonging  to  it.  By  his 
Will  he  has  given  ample  Proof  that  such  was  his  Intent,  for  he  has 
restricted  his  Family  from  having  any  Concern  with  Horse  racing  upon 
pain  of  forfeiting  considerable  parts  of  the  Property  he  has  bequeathed 
them. 

"  We  are  happy  in  being  enabled  from  the  best  Authority  to  give 
the  Public  the  substance  of  his  Will  which  is  as  follows  : 

"After  making  a  Handsome  Provision  by  Annuity  charged  on  his  real 
Estates  for  Mrs.  O'Kelly,  together  with  the  use  for  life  of  that  Elegant 
Villa  Cannons  which  he  lately  purchased  from  W.  Hallett  Esquire  and 
the  Furniture,  he  has  devised  the  Bulk  of  his  Property  to  Andrew 
Dennis  O'Kelly  Esquire,  his  Nephew,  a  Gentleman  whom  we  are 
informed  well  merits  this  and  every  other  good  Fortune  which  can 
befall  him,  and  whose  Conduct  through  Life  has  been  so  well 
regulated  as  to  render  the  restriction  in  his  Uncle's  Will  wholly 
unnecessary  though  its  insertion  may  be  accounted  for  by  that  Caution 
which  is  the  usual  Attendant  on  Experience." 

By  the  kindness  of  a  collateral  descendant,  I  am  fortun- 
ately able  to  give  here  a  careful  and  accurate  analysis  of 
Dennis  O'Kelly's  Will,  of  which  the  original  parchment 
administration  has  been  shown  me  by  Sir  Thomas 
Esmonde.  It  contains  the  following  bequests,  and  is  dated 
October  11,  1786 : 

(i)  Thomas  Birch  of  Bond  Street,  and  William  Atkin- 
son of  Pall  Mall,  are  named  as  executors,  and  Andrew 
Dennis,  his  nephew,  is  made  sole  administrator  by  an 
appended  authority  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

(2)  An  annuity   or  yearly  rentcharge   of  four  hundred 

127 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


pounds  from  "  my  capital  messuage  lands,  grounds  and 
hereditaments  situate  at  Cannons  in  the  County  of  Mid- 
dlesex which  I  have  lately  purchased  of  William  Hallett 
Esquire  .  .  .  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof  .  .  .  which 
I  do  hereby  charge  with  the  same  upon  trust  that  they  do 
and  shall  yearly  and  every  year  receive  and  pay  the  said 
yearly  rentcharge  or  sum  of  four  hundred  pounds  into  the 
proper  hands  of  Charlotte  Hayes,  called  Mrs.  O' Kelly  who 
now  lives  and  resides  with  me  for  and  during  the  term  of 
her  natural  life  without  any  deduction  or  abatement  what- 
soever on  the  four  quarterdays "  and  the  said  Charlotte 
Hayes  was  to  live  in  Cannons  if  she  wished  and  to  use  all 
the  furniture  in  it  at  the  time  of  his  death  for  the  term  of 
her  own  life. 

(3)  After  her  death  all  the  furniture  and  effects  go  to  his 
nephew  Andrew  Dennis  O' Kelly  who  inherits  the  freehold 
of  Cannons  on  the  death  of  Dennis. 

(4)  He  bequeaths  to  Charlotte  Hayes  "  my  large  diamond 
ring  and  also  all  and  every  the  diamonds  jewels  watches 
rings  and  other  personal  ornaments  which  she  is  possessed 
of  at  my  decease  .  .  .  also  my  gold  gilt  and  silver  cups  my 
silver  tea-urn  tea-kettle  coffee-pot  and  all  other  plate  or 
plated  silver  whatsoever  being  tea-equipage  or  property 
belonging  to  her  tea-table  and  used  in  that  way  with  two 
pair  of  any  large  silver  candlesticks  at  her  election. 

(5)  £^(^00  to  his  niece  Mary  Harvey. 

6.  "  I  do  hereby  give  my  horse  called  Eclipse  unto  the  said  Thomas 
Birch  and  William  Atkinson  upon  trust  to  receive  the  profits  arising 
from  the  said  horse  as  a  Stallion  and  to  account  for  and  pay  the  same 
unto  the  said  Charlotte  Hayes  my  said  Nephew  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly 
and  my  brother  Philip  O'Kelly  in  and  by  equal  parts  and  shares  during 
their  joint  lives  and  to  the  survivors  and  survivor  of  them  so  long  as  the 
said  horse  shall  live  and  be  of  any  use  or  benefit  after  deducing  all 
charges  and  expenses  of  taking  care  of  the  said  horse.  And  if  my  three 
horses  Dangannon  Volunteer  and  Verlumnus  shall  become  stallions  or  if 
any  of  any  other  horses  shall  be  kept  as  stallions  at  the  time  of  my 
decease  .  ."  the  fees  shall  be  divided  in  exactly  similar  manner,  and 
if  it  is  not  desired  to  keep  them  as  stallions  then  they  are  to  be  sold  at 

128 


H 

^ 

m 

a 

■^ 

s 

c 

H 

Sl 

1J 

^ 

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'fl 

§ 

DENNIS  O'KELLY 

public  auction  and  the  proceeds  divided.  .  .  "and  I  do  hereby  direct 
that  all  my  stud  of  running  horses  which  I  shall  have  or  be  possessed 
of  at  the  time  of  my  decease  save  and  except  Eclipse  Dtiiigamwn 
Volunteer  and  Vertiiminis  or  such  horses  as  shall  be  kept  as  stallions  at 
the  time  of  my  decease  and  also  except  all  my  brood  mares  hereinafter 
given  to  my  said  brother  Philip  O' Kelly  shall  as  soon  as  convenient  be 
sold  and  disposed  of  by  my  Executors  by  public  sale  for  the  best  prices 
or  most  monies  which  can  then  be  had  or  obtained  for  the  same 
and  that  the  net  monies  arising  from  the  sale  thereof  shall  be  applied  by 
my  said  Trustees  and  Executors  in  the  first  place  in  and  towards  payment 
and  satisfaction  of  my  just  debts  ...  I  do  hereby  also  give  and 
bequeath  unto  my  brother  Philip  O'Kelly  all  my  brood  mares  what- 
soever and  wheresoever  for  his  own  use  and  benefit."  .  .  and  ten  of 
his  mares  to  be  covered  by  my  stallions  without  fee,  but  after  ten  the 
same  fees  as  anyone  else. 

7.  I  also  bequeath  to  Charlotte  Hayes  both  my  chariot 
and  coach  and  all  such  coach  or  carriage  horses  as  I  shall  be 
possessed  of  at  the  time  of  my  decease  with  all  the  harness 
equipage  and  furniture  thereto  belonging. 

8.  ^20  and  a  mourning  ring  to  each  of  his  executors. 

9.  "All  the  residue  and  remainder  of  my  personal  estate  not  herein- 
before specifically  devised  I  do  hereby  give  and  bequeath  unto  Char- 
lotte Hayes,  my  brother  Philip  O'Kelly  and  my  nephew  Andrew 
Dennis  O'Kelly  in  equal  parts  shares  and  proportions  for  their 
respective  use  and  benefit  provided  always  and  I  do  hereby  expressly 
declare  it  to  be  my  will  and  direct  that  if  my  brother  Philip  O'Kelly 
and  my  nephew  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly  or  either  of  them  shall  at  any 
time  or  times  after  my  decease  during  their  joint  lives  lay  any  bet  or 
wager  or  make  any  match  or  matches  whatsoever  for  running  any 
horse  or  mare  whatsoever  or  train  up  any  horses  or  mares  whatsoever 
for  running  at  any  race  or  races  or  upon  any  course  public  or  private 
for  themselves  or  on  their  own  account  or  if  they  or  either  of  them 
shall  anyways  interfere  or  be  engaged  or  concerned  in  any  such 
matters  in  any  shape  or  manner  or  upon  any  account  or  pretence  what- 
soever then  and  in  such  cases  or  any  of  them  they  shall  forfeit  and 
pay  unto  my  executors  and  trustees  the  sum  of  five  hundred  pounds  of 
lawful  British  money  to  be  by  them  deducted  and  retained  for  their 
own  use  and  benefit  out  of  the  property." 

Only  a  few  notes  are  necessary  on  the  foregoing  docu- 
ment.    The  William  Atkinson  in  paragraph  (i)  became  a 

129  I 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

great  friend  of  Andrew,  and  his  brother  Michael  seems  to 
have  held  a  mortgage  on  Cannons.  The  mourning  ring 
mentioned  in  paragraph  (8)  is,  I  believe,  the  origin  of 
Lochee's  miniature  which  forms  my  frontispiece. 

On  January  7,  1788,  Colonel  Dennis  O' Kelly  was  buried 
at  Whitchurch.  Whatever  evil  he  may  have  done  lies 
with  his  bones  interred.  The  Jockey  Club  would  not 
forgive  it ;  but  few  of  them  had  the  right  to  cast  a  stone. 
The  good  lives  after  him.  To  his  ownership  and  careful 
treatment  of  Eclipse  England  owes  nearly  all  her  best 
horses  since  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  ;  and  the  old 
quatrain  that  racing  men  would  be  most  inclined  to  quote 
about  him  is  : 

There  is  so  much  good  in  the  worst  of  us, 

And  so  much  bad  in  the  best  of  us. 
That  it  ill  beseems  any  one  of  us 

To  find  any  fault  with  the  rest  of  us. 

So  we  will  wish  peace  to  O'Kelly's  ashes  ;  and  may  the 
turf  rest  lightly  on  the  dead. 


130 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE  AND  THE  PROPORTIONS  OF 

HIS  SKELETON 

Pelle  et  cdrntbus  vesthti  me,  ossitus  et  nervii  compeghti  me 

Saint  Bel's  Presence  at  the  Horse's  Death — "  Cakes  and  Ale  " — A  Funeral 
Ode — The  Eclipse  Hoof— The  other  Three  Hoofs— The  Whip— ^c/^^se's 
Skin — His  Skeleton  in  Red  Lion  Square — Bracy  Clark — Sale  of  the  Bones 
to  Professor  Gamgee — Gift  to  the  Museum — Charles  Vial  de  Saint  Bel — 
The  First  Veterinary  College — Saint  Bel's  Examination  of  Eclipse's  Bones — 
The  Difficulties  of  Exact  Measurement — Proportions  of  Eclipse — Various 
Details  of  his  Framework  and  Anatomy — Extent  of  his  Stride — Sir  John 
Hills  on  the  Points  of  a  Racehorse — Heights  of  Racehorses — Comparison 
of  Ormonde,  St.  Simon,  and  Eclipse — Comparison  of  Zinfandel  and  Sampson 
— Horses  steadily  Growing  Taller — Value  of  a  Long  Femur  and  Humerus — 
Persimmon  a  Direct  Descendant  of  Eclipse. 

W  ^CLIPSE  stood  most  of  his  life  as  a  stallion  at 
/»  Clay  Hill,  Epsom.  Towards  the  end  his  forefeet 
were  dropped  in  the  hoofs  and  foundered,  and  his 
coffin-bones  (wrote  Bracy  Clark  in  1835)  were  "very 
much  rounded  and  diminished  by  absorption  from  undue 
pressure  upon  the  ball."  He  had  earned  his  rest,  for  in 
twenty-three  years  his  produce  numbered  344  winners,  with 
upwards  of  ;^i58,ooo  in  stakes,  and  he  had  earned  O'Kelly 
the  round  sum  of  ;^25,ooo.  He  was  conveyed  from  Epsom 
to  Cannons  Park  on  the  first  van  ever  used  to  transport  a 
horse  from  one  place  to  another,  for  when  Lord  George 
Bentinck  vanned  Elis  to  Doncaster  for  the  St.  Leger,  it 
was  only  the  first  time  such  a  method  had  been  used  for  a 
race-meeting.      John   Oakley  travelled   with  Eclipse,  says 

131 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Clark,  "  and  baited  with  him  at  the  stopping  places  on  the 
road,  so  that,  in  the  words  of  the  poet,  he  had  almost  become 
'  demi-natured  with  the  brave  beast.'  " 

On  the  morning  of  February  25,  1789,  Eclipse  was 
seized  with  a  violent  colic,  writes  St.  Bel.  "The  remedies 
acknowledged  as  most  proper  in  that  case  were  administered, 
but  without  effect.  He  expired  on  the  27th  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening  in  the  26th  year  of  his  age.  ...  It  is  worthy 
notice  that  the  heart  weighed  fourteen  pounds.  The  skull 
was  not  opened  as  it  was  my  intention  to  preserve  entire 
the  skeleton  of  so  famous  a  horse." 

"  Cakes  and  ale,"  says  Bracy  Clark,  "were  given  at  the 
funeral  of  his  flesh,  after  the  manner  of  the  Godolphin 
Arabian,  for  his  skin  was  preserved,  and  his  bones  were 
nicely  cleaned  of  eveiy  covering  but  the  ligaments  that  held 
them  together,  by  the  masterly  hand  of  Sainbel,  the  first 
professor  of  the  Veterinary  College,  and  an  excellent 
anatomist,  at  which,  more  than  in  anything  else,  he 
excelled."  Orton  confirms  this  in  his  "  Turf  Annals," 
(1844),  saying  that,  "  the  skeleton,  which  exhibited  immense 
strength  and  power,  was  afterwards  for  many  years  pre- 
served in  the  museum  of  Mr.  Edmund  Bond  "  (the  gentle- 
man whose  notes  on  Tattersall's  Catalogue  appeared  in  my 
last  chapter)  "  of  Haunch  of  Venison  Yard,  Upper  Brook 
Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  London,  a  pupil  of  M.  de  St.  Bel, 
member  of  the  R.V.C.,  and  Veterinarian  to  the  Duke  of 
Clarence.  In  later  days  one  of  the  hoofs  of  this  Prince  of 
Horses,  elegantly  and  expensively  mounted"  (as  will  be 
seen  in  one  of  my  illustrations)  "was  presented  to  the 
Jockey  Club  by  His  late  Majesty.  .  .  ." 

Soon  after  the  good  horse's  death,  a  poem  was  pub- 
lished in  which  the  adherents  of  O' Kelly  and  Eclipse  flung 
a  last  defiance  at  Tattersall  and  Highflyer.  It  ran  as 
follows : 

Praise  to  departed  worth!  Illustrious  steed, 

Not  the  fam'd  Phernicus  of  Pindar's  ode, 
O'er  thee,  EcHpse,  possessed  transcendent  speed 

When  by  a  keen  Newmarket  jockey  rode. 
132 


o    -I 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

Tho'  from  the  hoof  of  Pegasus  arose 

Inspiring  Hippocrene,  a  fount  divine  ! 
A  richer  stream  superior  merit  shows, 

Thy  matchless  foot  produced  O' Kelly's  wine. 

True,  o'er  the  tomb  in  which  this  fav'rite  lies 
No  vaunting  boast  appears  of  lineage  good  ; 

Yet  the  Turf  Register's  bright  page  defies 
The  race  of  Herod  to  show  better  blood. 

Every  precaution  was  taken,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  to 
preserve  the  relics  of  this  noble  animal ;  but  of  course  I 
have  had  some  difficulty  in  arriving  at  the  authenticity  of 
all  that  bear  his  name  to-day.  The  hoof,  however,  men- 
tioned by  Orton  in  the  passage  quoted  above,  is  beyond 
doubt ;  for  it  is  on  record  that  King  William  IV.,  who 
knew  more  of  the  sea  than  the  Turf,  and  "  started  the  whole 
squadron"  when  necessary  at  Ascot  or  elsewhere,  was 
giving  the  annual  dinner  to  the  Jockey  Club  (which  still 
continues)  at  St.  James's  Palace,  on  May  i6,  1832,  when 
the  hoof  of  Eclipse,  elegantly  mounted  in  the  middle  of  a 
gold  salver,  was  brought  into  the  room  and  presented  by 
the  King  to  the  Club.  It  is  now  in  the  Club  Rooms  at 
Newmarket.  On  the  front  are  the  royal  arms  in  gold  in 
high  relief,  and  on  the  pedestal  is  the  following  inscription  : 
"  This  piece  of  plate,  with  the  hoof  of  Eclipse,  was  presented 
by  His  Most  Gracious  Majesty  William  the  Fourth  to  the 
Jockey  Club,  May,  1832."  This  Hoof  was  originally  given 
as  a  Challenge  race  (rather  like  "The  Whip,"  which  I 
shall  mention  presently)  run  on  Ascot  Thursday.  The 
King  gave  ;^200  added  money,  and  there  was  a  ;;^ioo 
sweepstake  between  members  of  the  Jockey  Club.  It  was 
run  for  soon  after  it  was  presented,  in  the  year  of  the  great 
Reform  Bill,  on  the  same  afternoon  that  Camarme  and 
Rowton  ran  a  dead-heat  for  the  Gold  Cup,  and  over  the 
same  course.  One  subscriber  scratched,  and  of  the  other 
two.  Lord  Chesterfield,  with  the  famous  Priam  (Conolly 
up),  beat  General  Grosvenor  and  Sarpedon,  ridden  by  John 
Day.     In  1834   Lord  Chesterfield  won  again  with  Glauciis 

133 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

(Bill  Scott  up),  beating  Gallopade,  who  had  won  for  Mr. 
Cosby  the  year  before.  Twelve  months  later  it  was  chal- 
lenged for  by  Mr.  Batson,  but  there  was  no  reply.  It  is  much 
to  be  wished  that  his  present  Majesty  would  suggest  some 
practical  way  by  which  so  celebrated  a  trophy  could  once 
more  be  brought  out  from  its  seclusion  and  worthily  figure 
among  the  great  prizes  of  the  modern  Turf. 

A  short  time  ago  the  number  of  "hoofs  of  Eclipse'' 
mentioned  in  my  letters  suggested  that  one  explanation 
of  his  speed  might  have  been  the  abnormal  quantity  of  legs 
in  which  he  apparently  rejoiced.  But  after  some  trouble  I 
have  got  down  to  four,  two  of  which  are  probable  and  two 
certain.  Among  the  many  correspondents  who  have  so 
kindly  given  value  to  this  compilation  was  Mr.  John  D. 
Cradock,  of  Quorn,  who  possesses  a  hoof  with  a  piece  of 
the  hide  of  Eclipse,  which  were  given  to  his  father,  Thomas 
Cradock,  of  Loughborough,  by  Thomas  Denning,  of  the 
same  place,  who  got  it  from  Cannons.  Mr.  Denning  died 
on  December  30,  1846,  and  in  the  probate  of  his  will  in  the 
Canterbury  Court  (proved  in  1847)  ^e  is  described  as  "of 
Loughborough,"  where  he  owned  property  ;  and  he  formerly 
resided  at  Pinner.  From  other  indications  I  see  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  this  is  genuine. 

Soon  afterwards  another  letter  reached  me  from  the 
West  Indies,  in  which  Mrs.  E.  J.  Roper  very  kindly  in- 
formed me  that  she  possessed  a  hoof  of  Eclipse  mounted  in 
the  form  of  a  snuff-box,  with  the  miniature  of  George  IV. 
on  the  lid.  This  could  not,  of  course,  have  been  the  one 
which  Lord  Chesterfield  won  in  1834,  for  that,  as  we  have 
seen,  is  now  in  the  Jockey  Club  ;  but  it  may  possibly  have 
been  given  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  by  his  friend,  Andrew 
O' Kelly,  in  the  shape  it  still  retains.  How  it  got  out  to  the 
West  Indies  is  evident  from  the  inscription  now  on  the 
underside  of  the  lid,  which  shows  that  it  was  given  to  the 
father  of  my  correspondent's  husband,  who  was  a  surgeon 
in  the  loist  Regiment,  then  stationed  at  Jamaica.  The 
inscription  is  as  follows :  "  Presented  to  Dr.  Roper,  Rose- 
mount,  Jamaica,  by  Lieutenant  Nowlan,  as  a  testimonial  of 

134 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

gratitude  for  his  skilful  and  successful  treatment  of  a  gun- 
shot wound,  which  carried  with  it  a  portion  of  the  spine, 
rendering  it  to  all  except  his  benefactor  a  hopeless  case  ;  and 
having  perfectly  recovered  from  all  subsequent  ill  effects 
Lieutenant  Nowlan  is  anxious  to  record  his  grateful  feelings. 
Dublin,  June  1837."  The  weakness  of  this  is  that  there  is  no 
mention  of  Eclipse,  the  very  point  that  would  have  given 
special  value  to  the  present.  But  I  am  bound  to  think 
that  "Dublin"  adds  a  touch  of  probability,  inasmuch  as 
the  hoof  may  well  have  been  a  treasured  possession  of 
Andrew  O'Kelly's  Irish  relations,  as  a  relic  not  only  of  the 
famous  horse,  but  of  his  racing  acquaintance  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales.  I  must  confess,  however,  that  no  greater 
proof  of  authenticity  has  yet  reached  me. 

Fortunately,  there  is  as  little  doubt  about  the  fourth 
hoof  as  about  the  first,  for  in  reply  to  my  inquiries,  Lord 
Knollys  very  kindly  wrote  as  follows  : — 

Balmoral  Castle 

26  September  1906 

Dear  Mr.  Cook 

I  have  submitted  your  letter  to  the  King,  and  I  find  that  His  Majesty 
does  possess  one  of  Eclipse's  hoofs. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Knollys. 

I  should  add  here  that  in  Mr.  Robert  Black's  "  History 
of  the  Jockey  Club"  (1891)  mention  is  made  of  a  Mr. 
William  Worley,  of  Weybridge,  who  "  claims  to  have  had 
in  his  possession  for  about  thirty  years  (on  July  7,  1891)  a 
pin  with  a  horse's  head  made  from  one  of  Eclipse  s  hoofs, 
and  the  property  originally  of  a  William  Worley  who  had 
been  in  the  service  of  the  'Culloden  '  Duke  of  Cumberland, 
and  afterwards  manager  of  the  Duke  of  York's  stud  at  Oat- 
lands,  and  who  had  actually  cut  off  the  hoofs  of  Eclipsed 
I  find  from  other  sources  that  Mr.  Worley,  who  had  ridden 
Eclipse  at  exercise,  died  at  a  great  age  at  his  residence  in 
Hampton  Court ;  and  it  is  further  said  that  the  hoof  he  sent 
(by  O'Kelly's  orders)  to  the  Duke  of  York  was  that  which 

13s 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

eventually  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Jockey  Club  by 
the  gift  of  William  IV.  It  is  also  said  that  Mr.  Worley 
sent  another  hoof  (which  has  never  been  traced)  to  Mr. 
Greville  who  managed  the  Duke  of  York's  racing  stable. 
From  which  foot  was  taken  the  material  used  for  Mr. 
Worley's  tie-pin,  I  know  not.  The  fact  that  the  hoofs 
mentioned  above  are  mounted  may  conceal  the  absence 
of  a  piece  of  horn  big  enough  for  the  head  of  a  scarf- 
pin  ;  and  it  is  curious  that  in  the  skeleton  as  it  is  now 
mounted  in  Red  Lion  Square  the  fore  and  hind  hoof-bones 
appear  to  be  interchanged,  which  may  be  the  result  of  a 
stud-groom,  ignorant  of  anatomy,  removing  one  hoof  during 
the  dissection  in  order  to  cut  out  a  piece  of  horn. 

A  genuine  relic  of  Eclipse  is  the  lash  and  wristband, 
woven  from  the  hairs  of  his  mane  and  tail,  on  the  New- 
market Challenge  Whip,  which  was  very  possibly  decorated 
in  this  appropriate  manner  after  Eclipse  s  sons,  PolSos  and 
Dungannon,  had  won  it  in  1783  and  1786  respectively.  The 
trophy  is  of  course  much  older,  for  though  the  arms  on  the 
handle  are  not  Stuart,  the  tradition  that  it  was  given  as  a 
prize  by  Charles  II.  is  probably  true.  George  IV.  gave  a 
gold  whip  in  the  year  of  his  accession  to  the  Turf  Club  in 
Ireland,  and  in  1828  Richard  Tattersall  carried  over  to  the 
Mecklenburgh  Race-meeting  a  whip  presented  by  Francis 
Buckle,  with  which  he  had  won  "  five  Derbies,  two  St. 
Legers,  nine  Oaks,  and  all  the  good  things  at  Newmarket." 
The  selection  of  a  well-mounted  whip  as  a  prize  is  of  old 
standing,  and  was  usual  about  the  time  when  the  still  more 
ancient  custom  of  giving  a  Bell  went  out  of  fashion.  Such 
good  horses  are  on  the  roll  of  the  Newmarket  Whip  winners 
as  Sharke,  Sweet  William,  Gimcrack,  and  Malton ;  but  it 
has  fallen  into  almost  as  indolent  habits  as  its  near  neigh- 
bour the  Hoof,  for  in  these  days  few  owners  care  to  give 
their  horses  a  gallop  over  the  severe  Ditch-In  course  (two 
miles  118  yards)  for  a  reward  that  is  merely  sentimental ; 
and  after  old  Osbech  had  practically  made  it  his  own 
property.  Lord  Ellesmere's  Kroonstad  (by  Kilwarlin,  out  of 
Sabra)  won  it   in  October,   1906,   without  the   trouble  of 

136 


DEATH   OF  ECLIPSE 

competition,  which  showed  that  sentiment  does  not  count 
for  very  much  on  the  modern  Turf. 

Matthew  Dawson  owned  a  genuine  piece  of  Eclipses 
skin,  and  on  his  death  in  1898  this  was  sent  by  his  heir 
to  Lord  Rosebery,  who  gave  it  an  honoured  place  in  one  of 
the  finest  sporting  collections  in  the  world  at  the  Durdans. 
The  fine,  light  chestnut  hair  is  as  bright  as  ever  in  the 
Epsom  sunlight,  and  beneath  it  is  a  letter  signed  by  R.  B. 
Pitman  in  July  1865,  saying  that  it  is  "  part  of  a  larger 
piece  given  to  me  by  Lieut. -Colonel  Andrew  Dennis 
O'Kelly,"  the  owner  of  Cannons  Park  at  the  time  of 
Eclipses  death  there  in  1789. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  stuffed  skin  was  standing  in  the 
loft  over  the  stables  at  Cannons  until  1810;  and  Mr.  Aubrey 
Hillmann  of  Saxonbury  has  written  to  me  as  follows : — 
"  The  late  Rev.  C.  J.  Plumer,  Vicar  of  Ilford,  near  Lewes 
in  Sussex,  from  1868  to  1882,  and  before  that  of  Elstree, 
Middlesex,  was  the  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Plumer,  Master 
of  the  Rolls,  who  bought  the  Cannons  Estate  from  O'Kelly. 
He  often  told  me  that,  as  a  boy,  he  and  his  brother  had 
played  with  the  skin  of  Eclipse  either  in  the  loft  over  the 
stables  or  in  one  of  the  attics  at  Cannons,  where  it  was 
left  by  Sir  Thomas  Plumer."  But  Mr.  W.  Osborn  Boyes 
of  Barnet,  writing  to  the  papers  in  July  1906,  says  that  the 
father  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Tootell,  magistrates'  clerk  of  Edgeware, 
"  got  to  know  they  had  sold  the  hide  to  a  '  snob '  at  Elstree, 
to  whom  he  posted  off,  gave  the  man  a  couple  of  sovereigns 
for  it  and  brought  it  home,  and  for  years  it  has  lain  in 
the  loft  over  Mr.  Tootell's  stables,"  which  are  only  a  stone's 
throw  from  the  gates  of  Cannons  Park.  The  famous  skin 
was  "  in  pickle  "  at  the  tanner's  when  I  was  last  in  Edge- 
ware  in  November,  1906 ;  but  in  the  spring  of  the  next 
year  Mr.  Osborn  Boyes  very  kindly  sent  me  a  piece  which 
he  had  himself  cut  off  near  the  withers,  and  I  have  no 
reason  to  doubt  its  authenticity  ;  but  no  hair  is  left  on  it, 
and  it  has  not  been  so  well  preserved  as  the  portion  that 
has  come  into  the  possession  of  Lord  Rosebery.  The 
careful  reader  will  observe  that  the  accoun-t  thus  given  by 

137 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Mr.    Boyes  does   not   invalidate   the   evidence  which    Mr. 
Hillman  was  good  enough  to  send  me  early  in  1906. 

Most  fortunately  for  us  the  dissection  of  Eclipses  dead 
body  was  conducted  by  the  most  famous  veterinary  sur- 
geon of  his  day,  and  the  first  head  of  the  Royal  College 
of  Veterinary  Surgeons  in  Red  Lion  Square.  He  left  the 
ligaments  on  the  bones,  after  he  had  taken  off  everything 
else,  and  they  were  still  on  them  a  year  or  two  ago,  as 
may  be  seen  from  the  photograph  on  page  302  of  the 
second  volume  in  my  "  History  of  the  English  Turf" 
(Virtue,  1903).  This  is  only  one  indication  of  the  authenticity 
of  that  skeleton,  which  has  now  had  to  be  cleaned  up  owing 
to  the  natural  processes  of  decay.  But  it  is  necessary  to 
give  here  the  documentary  proofs  that  this  skeleton  is 
actually  the  authentic  relic  out  of  several  other  claimants 
to  the  honour  ;  and  this  I  am  enabled  to  do  owing  to  the 
kindness  of  various  correspondents  related  to  the  gentle- 
men through  whose  hands  the  skeleton  of  Eclipse  passed 
before  it  reached  its  present  home. 

It  may  be  as  well  briefly  to  trace  the  occurrences  con- 
nected with  the  skeleton  from  the  day  after  Saint  Bel  dis- 
sected it  at  Cannons.  ''Eclipses  head,"  he  writes,  "was 
never  beautiful,  but  his  mechanical  conformation  was 
perfect,"  and  this  he  worked  out  in  careful  detail  in  a  book 
from  which  I  shall  quote  at  some  length  later  on,  called 
"  An  Essay  on  the  Geometrical  Proportions  of  Eclipse,  by 
Charles  Vial  de  Saint  Bel,  Equerry  to  the  King  of  France, 
and  head  of  the  Academy  of  Equitation  at  Lyons,  formerly 
Professor  of  the  Royal  Veterinary  College  in  the  same  city, 
and  of  Comparative  Anatomy  at  Montpellier,  and  now 
Professor  of  the  Veterinary  College  in  London,  1791. 
Price  one  guinea."  The  book  was  originally  written 
in  French,  from  which  I  have  taken  its  title,  and  was 
dedicated  "to  His  Royal  Highness  George  Prince  of 
Wales." 

The  bones  on  which  St.  Bel's  researches  are  based  were 
presented  to  the  Royal  Veterinary  College  in  Red  Lion 
Square,  London,  where  they  now   are,  by  Professor  John 

138 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

Gamgee,    on   January   27,    1871,    who  sent   the   following 
receipt  as  a  guarantee  of  authenticity  : 

"18  GiLTSPUR  Street,  London. 

"  Nov.  22,  i860. 

"  Received  of  Mr.  Joseph  Gamgee  on  account  of  Professor  John 
Gamgee  of  the  New  Veterinary  College,  Edinburgh,  the  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  five  pounds  for  value  of  the  skeleton  complete  of  the 
renowned  horse  Eclipse,  son  of  Marske  (Signed)  Bracy  Clark." 

This  Mr.  Bracy  Clark  was  a  Fellow  of  the  Linnaean 
Society,  a  Member  of  the  Institut  de  France,  and  a  friend 
of  Saint  Bel.  He  was  born  on  April  7,  1771,  eighteen 
years  before  Eclipse  died  ;  his  elder  brother,  Henry,  who 
was  born  in  1757,  and  died  in  1841,  was  present  at  the 
dissection  of  the  body  in  Cannons  Park  ;  and  Saint  Bel 
communicated  to  him  a  note  on  the  arrangement  of  the 
bones.  This  elder  brother  it  was  who  turned  Bracy  Clark's 
mind  chiefly  towards  veterinary  science,  though  his  general 
attainments  were  sufficient  to  secure  his  recognition  by 
various  eminent  scientific  bodies,  not  only  in  Paris  but  in 
New  York,  Berlin,  Copenhagen  and  Stuttgart.  He  was  a 
man  of  wide  interests,  for  he  established  the  first  cricket 
club  in  Worcester,  during  his  apprenticeship  as  a  surgeon, 
and  his  fine  cabinet  of  insects,  all  named  after  the  system 
of  Linnaeus,  procured  him  the  honour  of  membership  of 
the  Linnaean  Society  as  soon  as  he  reached  London  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one.  When  he  was  twenty-six  he  visited 
Holland,  Denmark,  Germany  and  Switzerland,  but  could 
not  get  to  France  in  1797,  so  he  returned  to  his  veterinary 
practice  in  London  with  Mr.  Bond  and  Mr.  Moorcroft  (who 
succeeded  Saint  Bel  as  joint-professor  with  Mr.  Coleman 
at  the  Red  Lion  Square  College),  and  in  1804  he  was  at 
work  on  the  principle  of  elasticity  in  a  horse's  foot,  of  which 
Wyatt,  the  sculptor,  was  so  convinced  that  he  rode  his 
horse  without  shoes  for  years,  and  to  the  end  of  his  life 
Bracy  Clark  struggled  to  find  a  proper  shoe  to  suit  the 
natural  expansion  of  the  equine  foot.     At  his  death  he  was 

139 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

the  senior  member  of  his  profession,  his  diploma  being 
dated  July  5,  1794,  and  it  was  his  boast  that  he  was  the 
first  pupil  to  lead  a  horse  into  the  yard  of  the  London 
College.  He  no  doubt  derived  great  benefit  from  St.  Bel's 
instruction,  and  the  first  thing  he  ever  published  was  a 
short  description  of  Eclipse.  The  same  subjects  occupied 
him  when  he  was  forty-two,  for  he  wrote  a  book  on  the 
sectional  figure  of  the  horse,  which  came  out  first  in  1813 
and  again  in  1842,  in  which  the  following  passage  occurs  : 

"  As  a  very  ungenerous  and  ridiculous  attempt  has  lately  been  made  to 
cast  a  doubt  on  the  identity  of  the  Eclipse  skeleton  now  in  my  possession, 
it  may  not  be  amiss  to  notify  that  this  celebrated  horse  never  went 
out  of  Dennis  O'Kelly's  hands,  dying  at  his  estate  of  Cannons  Park  in 
Hertfordshire  [he  means  Middlesex]  of  the  gripes.  St.  Bel,  then  about 
to  be  made  professor  of  the  Veterinary  College,  made  a  natural  skeleton 
of  his  bones,  leaving  the  ligaments  attaching  the  bones  together,  so  that 
they  could  not  in  any  way  be  changed.  A  few  years  after,  Dennis  [he 
means  Andrew  Dennis,  the  nephew]  gave  this  skeleton  to  my  friend 
Edmund  Bond  of  Lower  Brook  Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  who  dying, 
his  widow,  who  still  lives,  presented  it  to  me  in  consequence  of  my 
assistance  in  disposing  of  her  business  and  collecting  her  debts,  &c.  ; 
and  it  was  never  in  any  other  hands  whatsoever.  The  bones  also 
themselves,  which  are  remarkable,  would  sufficiently  evince  their 
genuineness  to  any  person  not  wilfully  blind  or  prejudiced.  Sixty 
guineas  were  offered  me  for  it  by  the  College  of  Surgeons  and  were 
refused,  a  hundred  being  demanded  for  this  invincible  monarch  of  the 
racecourse." 

A  drawing  from  nature  is  added,  by  Sydenham  Edwards 
of  Chelsea,  of  the  vertebral  column,  eighteen  ribs,  and 
trunk  of  Eclipse,  and  on  the  next  page  is  a  measured  leg 
and  the  front  of  the  skeleton. 

This  is  confirmed  from  other  sources,  for  Bracy  Clark's 
great-grandson,  Mr.  Arthur  Langridge,  very  kindly  wrote 
out  for  me  the  following  memorandum,  copied  from  his 
grandmother's  statement  of  the  facts,  made  a  year  before 
her  death  in  1903.     She  was  born  in  181 1. 

"  My  father  Mr.  Bracy  Clark  had  lent  ;^5oo  to  Mr.  Bond,  a  veterinary 
surgeon  of  Oxford  Street,  who  was  called  in  by  the  owner  Captain 

140 


5 


^i'-'^my^ 

'5 

^^^^^^^^^^tT^^^^^V 

u 

i^Sy^i:   ■  .    -■ 

1 

DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

[Andrew]  O'Kelly  living  at  Cannons,  to  dissect  Eclipse  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Sainbel  and  my  uncle  Henry  Clark  was  present  at  the  dissection. 
Shortly,  after,  Mr.  Bond  died,  and  his  widow,  unable  to  pay  the  loan, 
gave  my  father  the  skeleton  of  Eclipse.  The  first  time  I  saw  it  was  in 
Taunton  Place,  Regent's  Park  in  1825.  The  limbs  were  kept  in  two 
cupboards  in  my  father's  study,  and  the  skeleton  of  the  body  was  over 
the  top,  also  the  head.  In  i860  my  father  sold  it  for  £100  to  Mr.  John 
Gamgee  who  intended  establishing  a  veterinary  college  in  Edinburgh." 

In  1833  the  bones  are  also  proved  to  have  been  in  the 
same  hands,  for  on  August  9  of  that  year  Mr.  William 
Clift  wrote  to  Mr.  Bracy  Clark  from  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields 
as  follows : 

"  Dr.  Adam  of  Edinburgh  having  been  informed  by  me  that  you  are 
in  possession  of  the  Bones  of  the  celebrated  Eclipse,  is  very  desirous  of 
being  permitted  to  see  them,  and  being  personally  unknown  to  you,  has 
requested  this  line  of  introduction,  and  I  believe  you  will  only  require 
to  know,  to  esteem  each  other,  for  Dr.  Adam  is  as  zealous  a  student  of 
Nature  as  yourself,  and  that  you  will  allow  is  saying  a  bold  word 
and  more  than  I  could  venture  to  say  of  many  others." 

In  1835  Mr.  Bracy  Clark  apparently  gave  the  bones  to 
Mr.  Bullock  to  take  care  of,  who  kept  them  in  a  case  in  the 
Egyptian  Hall,  Piccadilly,  with  power  to  sell  them  for 
100  guineas. 

Mr.  Langridge  also  copied  for  me  the  original  letter 
from  Professor  Gamgee  as  to  the  delivery  of  the  skeleton, 
dated  from  the  New  Veterinary  College,  Edinburgh, 
November  21,  i860,  and  addressed  to  Bracy  Clark,  in 
Giltspur  Street : 

"  My  father  will  hand  you  this  note  and  is  deputed  by  me  to  pay  you 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  guineas  for  the  skeleton  of  Eclipse  which  I 
wish  you  to  deliver  to  him  with  an  authentic  account  of  the  manner 
in  which  you  obtained  possession  of  it.  In  the  hope  that  you  may 
have  recovered  from  the  indisposition  which  Mrs.  Pope  mentioned  as 
confining  you  to  your  room,  I  remain,  Dear  Sir,  Yours  very  faithfully, 

"John  Gamgee." 

Bracy  Clark  died  three  weeks  later,  leaving  many  valu- 
able books  on  the  horse  to  the  Red  Lion  Square  institution, 

141 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

and  Mrs.  Pope  was  his  only  child,  Mr.  Langridge's  grand- 
mother. He  practised  with  Mr.  Moorcroft  and  Mr.  Bond  ; 
in  his  early  days  of  veterinary  work  he  took  the  premises 
mentioned  in  Giltspur  Street.  On  December  i6,  i860,  he 
died  at  the  age  of  89,  and  the  Registrar,  announcing  his 
death  at  the  Quarterly  Meeting  of  the  Council  of  the  Royal 
Veterinary  Surgeons  on  January  16,  1861,  said  "Mr. 
Bracy  Clark  was  until  very  recently  the  owner  of  the 
skeleton  of  the  celebrated  Eclipsed 

In  the  "  Edinburgh  Veterinary  Review  "  for  February 
1 86 1,  Mr.  Joseph  Gamgee  wrote  that  "the  skeleton  of 
Eclipse  now  in  our  possession,  still  connected  by  its  liga- 
ments, is  proof  that  Eclipse  was  a  horse  of  most  perfect 
symmetry."  There  is  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  the 
Gamgees  (both  Joseph  and  John  held  important  posts  in  the 
Edinburgh  New  Veterinary  College)  had  the  skeleton  in 
Edinburgh  between  1861  and  1871,  and  it  is  equally  certain 
that  in  January  of  the  latter  year  they  gave  it  to  the  sister- 
institution  in  London  where  it  now  is. 

Among  the  many  things  for  which  the  modern  lover  of 
horses  may  be  grateful  to  Eclipse,  it  is  not  often  realised 
that  one  of  the  most  important  is  the  foundation  of  the  first 
veterinary  college  in  London,  which  was,  it  is  fair  to  say,  a 
direct  result  of  St.  Bel's  brilliant  dissection  of  the  body. 
The  first  veterinary  college  recorded  is  that  established  in 
1 76 1  in  a  convent  at  Lyons,  where  the  first  professor  was 
Bourgelat,  of  whom  St.  Bel  was  a  pupil. 

Charles  Vial  de  St.  Bel,  was  born  at  Lyons  in  1753; 
his  father  was  the  Mayor  of  the  City,  and  his  second  sur- 
name was  taken  from  a  neighbouring  estate.  His  parents 
having  died  in  1756,  he  was  placed  under  the  guardianship 
of  M.  de  Flesseille,  and  by  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was 
attending  Bourgelat's  lectures  at  the  Lyons  College,  which 
Bracy  Clark  visited  later  on  when  France  was  less  dangerous 
for  English  travellers.  By  1773  Saint  Bel  was  appointed  a 
public  Demonstrator,  and  in  the  next  year  he  celebrated  his 
majority  by  taking  five  students  on  an  extensive  tour, 
undertaken  by  command,  to  stop  an  outbreak  of  epizootic 

142 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

in  France.  After  this  the  King  sent  for  him  to  Paris,  made 
him  an  Equerry,  and  gave  him  an  official  position  in  the 
capital,  where  the  sonorous  title  of  "  Mardchal  de  France" 
is  an  interesting  echo  of  the  deference  once  paid  to  the 
invaluable  trade  of  farriery.  But  his  native  town  could  not 
get  on  without  him,  and  he  returned  south  to  become  a 
Professor  at  Montpellier.  Soon  afterwards  the  patronage 
of  the  Prince  de  Lambesc,  which  had  already  benefited  him 
at  Court,  secured  him  the  chief  position  in  the  great 
"Manage"  at  Lyons.  In  June  1788  he  came  to  England 
with  letters  of  introduction  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  others, 
and  before  returning  to  France  he  married  an  English  wife. 
Impending  revolution,  and  the  confiscation  of  his  estates, 
drove  him  out  of  France  again ;  and  on  reaching  London 
once  more  he  was  proscribed  as  an  eniigrd.  But  his  chance 
soon  came.  In  February  1789,  the  brilliant  young  French- 
man (he  was  only  thirty-six)  was  asked  by  Andrew  Dennis 
O' Kelly  to  dissect  the  body  of  Eclipse.  The  result  of  his 
work,  published  in  a  book,  made  his  reputation  for  ever. 

By  his  influence  in  the  next  year  (1790)  a  meeting  of 
gentlemen  interested  in  the  Agricultural  Society  of  Odiham 
(Hants)  resolved  "  to  form  an  institution  to  be  called  the 
Veterinary  College,  and  to  appoint  M.  Saint  Bel  to  the 
professorship,"  writes  John  Lawrence,  who  edited  a  collected 
edition  of  Saint  Bel's  works  after  his  death.  The  writer  of 
the  life  in  the  "Dictionary  of  National  Biography"  gives 
February  11,  1791,  as  the  date  of  the  important  meeting 
mentioned,  and  Mr.  Blenheim's  Coffee  House,  in  Bond 
Street,  as  the  place.  Whichever  may  be  right,  it  is  certain 
that  Saint  Bel  founded  veterinary  science  in  England  on 
its  present  lines,  that  he  was  first  professor  of  our  first 
veterinary  college,  and  that  the  dissection  of  Eclipse  gave 
him  the  opportunity  of  proving  himself  capable  of  both. 
The  Duke  of  Northumberland  was  President  of  the  new 
institution,  with  Sir  T.  C.  Bunbury,  M.P.,  among  the  Vice- 
Presidents,  and  before  1792  Saint  Bel  had  been  formally 
appointed,  and  stabling  was  built  in  Red  Lion  Square  by 
the  authority  of  a  committee,  on  which  John  Hunter  served. 

143 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

But  Saint  Bel's  enjoyment  of  the  post  was  doomed  to  be  as 
short  as  Dennis  O'Kelly's  tenure  of  Cannons  ;  for  on 
August  4,  1793,  he  was  seized  with  a  shivering  fit,  and  in 
seventeen  days  he  was  dead.  He  was  buried  at  the 
College's  expense  in  the  vaults  of  the  Savoy  Chapel  in  the 
Strand.  He  is  described  by  Bracy  Clark  "as  a  tall, 
stout,  bony  man,  of  a  very  dark  swarthy  complexion,  and 
prominent  cheek  bones ;  the  lower  jaw  large,  and  dark 
eyes." 

Saint  Bel  was  no  doubt  inspired  to  write  his  great  book 
by  the  interest  he  would  naturally  feel  in  comparing  Eclipse 
with  the  ideal  medium  standard  horse  of  the  French  school, 
as  laid  down  by  his  old  master  Bourgelat.  But  apart  from 
the  importance  of  his  detailed  description  of  Eclipse,  the 
book  is  remarkable  for  an  imaginative  insight,  based  on  those 
details,  which  is  among  the  highest  gifts  that  any  scientific 
writer  can  possess.  The  author  showed,  for  instance,  by 
mathematical  calculation,  that  the  fore-  and  hind-legs  of  a 
galloping  horse  must  necessarily  occupy  a  certain  position 
at  a  given  moment  of  the  gallop  when  fully  extended. 
Very  few  of  his  contemporaries  can  have  believed  him. 
But  instantaneous  photography  has  made  us  wiser,  and  by 
its  aid  we  can  now  see  in  any  of  the  illustrated  papers  a 
horse's  legs  in  those  positions  which  Saint  Bel  described 
long  before  such  photography  had  ever  been  invented. 
These  positions  consist  in  the  extreme  forward  reach  of  the 
hind-legs  and  the  extreme  backward  reach  of  the  fore-legs, 
as  will  be  obvious  when  we  come  to  examine  more  closely 
the  diagrams  by  which  Saint-Bel's  book  is  illustrated.  The 
work  is  now  rare  and  seldom  to  be  found  in  good  condition. 
I  shall  therefore  quote  from  the  copy  in  the  British  Museum, 
from  which  the  diagrams  were  reproduced  for  these  pages. 
With  these  diagrams  I  would  ask  my  reader  to  compare 
the  careful  measured  painting  of  Eclipse,  done  from  life  by 
Stubbs,  which  is  the  type  taken  for  all  the  horse's  best 
portraits,  and  also  the  photographs  of  the  skeleton  in  Red 
Lion  Square,  and  of  the  various  bones  in  detail. 

It  will  no  doubt  be  expected  that  I  should  here  give  a 

144 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

careful  tabulation  of  the  size  of  Eclipse's  bones  as  compared 
with  the  best  horses  we  know  before  and  after  his  time.  It 
is  neither  lack  of  industry  nor  want  of  perception  that  pre- 
vents me  from  accomplishing  what  I  fondly  imagined,  when 
I  begun  this  book,  would  be  one  of  its  most  interesting 
tasks.  In  future  editions  I  look  forward  to  its  accomplish- 
ment ;  but  for  the  present  we  are  all  kept  waiting  by  a  very 
curious  difficulty  among  the  Biologists  and  the  Men  of 
Science,  which  they  will  have  to  settle  for  themselves  as  soon 
as  possible,  for  no  one  else  can  settle  it  for  them.  The 
majority  of  my  readers  will  share  my  own  surprise  in  learn- 
ing that  the  whole  question  is  one  about  the  exact  measure- 
ment of  bones.  It  will  not  do  here  to  take  the  obviously 
simple  course  of  placing  a  bone  between  uprights  and 
measuring  it  "  over  all."  I  find  that  so  long  ago  as  1790 
such  good  authorities  as  Saint  Bel  and  Bracy  Clark  differed 
as  to  the  measurement  of  certain  bones  of  Eclipse.  No 
doubt  the  "extreme  points  "  they  chose  were  not  the  same. 
So  recently  as  the  summer  of  1906  an  official  of  the  British 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  who  most  kindly  superin- 
tended the  photographing  of  the  skeleton  for  me  in  Red 
Lion  Square,  produced  his  form  of  measurement,  which 
differed  from  that  of  both  his  predecessors.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  another  equally  well-informed  gentleman  of 
science  would  in  the  present  year  of  grace  produce  a 
measurement  differing  from  all  three.  I  find  exactly  the 
same  difficulty  in  measuring  modern  thoroughbreds  for 
purposes  of  comparison.  The  only  solution  would  be  that 
the  man  who  measured  the  skeleton  of  Eclipse  should  also 
measure  the  skeleton  of  modern  horses.  Saint  Bel,  alas  ! 
has  not  lived  long  enough.  But  when  our  scientific  gentle- 
men have  settled  on  some  common  mode  of  procedure  that 
will  be  universally  accepted,  I  shall  hope  to  compare  the 
bones  of  Eclipse  with  those  of  Touchstone,  and  perhaps 
with  those  of  some  famous  descendant  in  the  same  direct 
line  who  is  still  alive,  as  I  write,  and  then  I  think  the 
results  will  indeed  be  worthy  of  the  attention  of  biologists 
and  breeders  ;  and  then,  also,  to  use  the  words  in  which 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Saint  Bel  described  one  of  his  chief  ambitions,  "  we  should 
be  enabled  to  establish  the  true  conformation  of  the  race- 
horse, and  at  any  given  time  to  discover  whether  the  breed 
had  degenerated." 

I  am  very  far  from  implying  that  the  work  of  Saint  Bel, 
and  the  modern  photographs  of  Eclipses  bones,  here  repro- 
duced, are  rendered  valueless  by  what  has  just  been  said. 
It  should  rather  be  understood  that,  in  what  I  hope  may  be 
the  near  future,  they  will  possess  an  even  greater  exact 
value  than  they  do  now.  Their  general  interest  can  never 
be  diminished  ;  and  in  the  case  of  Saint  Bel  himself  I  can 
even  give  an  instance  of  that  comparative  method  which 
is  always  so  desirable ;  for  he  found  that  when  compared 
with  the  table  of  the  geometrical  portions  of  the  horse  in 
use  at  the  veterinary  schools  of  France,  Eclipse  measured 
in  height  one-seventh  more  than  the  French  standard ;  his 
neck  was  one-third  longer ;  the  perpendicular  line  falling 
from  his  stifle  touched  the  ground  some  distance  in  front 
of  the  toe  instead  of  touching  the  toe  itself;  and  the  dis- 
tance from  the  elbow  to  the  bend  of  the  knee  was  con- 
siderably longer  than  the  distance  from  the  bend  of  the 
knee  to  the  ground,  whereas  the  French  standard  gave 
these  measurements  as  identical.  The  latter  point  is,  I 
think,  the  most  important.  Good  judges  consider  that  a 
horse's  knee  being  set  on  low,  or  "  well  let  down  "  after  the 
pattern  of  a  greyhound,  is  a  point  in  favour  of  speed,  and 
in  this  case  it  is  no  doubt  one  reason  why  Eclipse  proved 
faster  than  the  French  horses  from  whom  the  French 
standard  was  compiled.  It  should  also  be  noted  that 
Saint  Bel  gives  his  height  from  the  withers  to  the  ground 
as  66  inches  (or  \6\  hands),  which  is  much  taller  than 
he  was  thought  to  be  by  the  eye-witnesses  I  quoted  in 
previous  chapters ;  but  he  confirms  their  description  by 
adding  that  the  height  from  the  top  of  the  rump  to  the 
ground  (which  he  gives  as  67  inches)  was  greater,  and 
he  notes  that  the  length  of  the  body  from  the  most  pro- 
minent part  of  the  breast  to  the  extremity  of  the  buttocks 
was  greater  still,  namely  69  inches.  "  It  was  worthy  notice," 

146 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

he  also  remarks,  "  that  the  heart  weighed  fourteen  pounds," 
which  is  evidently  an  increase  on  the  corresponding  organ 
in  animals  to  which  he  had  been  previously  accustomed. 
I  will  now  give  further  details  in  his  own  words,  the  "  head  " 
being  22  inches,  and  the  "part"  being  one  inch,  in  the 
calculations  which  follow : 


Table  of  the  geometrical  Proportions  of  Eclipse  drawn  up  by 
Vial  de  Saint  Bel. 

The  head,  divided  into  22  equal  parts,  is  the  common  measure  for 
every  part  of  the  body.  If  the  head  appears  too  long  or  too  short  in  a 
horse,  that  common  measure  must  be  abandoned,  and  the  height  of  the 
body  taken  from  the  top  of  the  withers  to  the  ground.  This  height, 
being  divided  into  three  equal  parts,  one  of  these  three  parts  sub- 
divided into  22  equal  parts  will  give  a  just  geometrical  length,  such  as 
the  head  would  have  given  had  it  been  rightly  proportioned. 

AAAC.  3  heads  and  13  parts,  give  the  height  of  Eclipse,  when  pro- 
perly placed,  from  the  foretop  to  the  ground. 

AAA.     3  heads  from  the  withers  to  the  ground. 

AAA.     3  heads  [and  one  part]  from  the  rump  to  the  ground. 

AAA.  3  heads  and  3  parts,  the  whole  length  of  the  body,  from  the 
most  prominent  part  of  the  chest,  to  the  extremity  of  the  buttocks. 

AAA.  2  heads  and  20  parts,  the  height  of  the  middle  of  the  body, 
through  the  line  of  the  centre  of  gravity. 

AAC.  2  heads  and  7  parts,  the  height  of  the  highest  part  of  the 
chest  from  the  ground. 

AAC.  2  heads  and  5  parts,  the  height  of  the  perpendicular  line, 
which  falls  from  the  articulation  of  the  arm  with  the  shoulder,  directly 
to  the  hoof. 

AB.  I  head  and  20  parts,  the  height  of  the  perpendicular  line,  which 
falls  from  the  top  of  the  fore-leg,  dividing  equally  all  its  parts  to  the 
fetlock. 

AB.  I  head  and  19  parts,  the  height  of  the  perpendicular  line  from 
the  elbow  to  the  ground. 

AB.  I  head  and  19  parts,  the  distance  from  the  top  of  the  withers 
to  the  stifle.  The  same  measure  also  gives  the  distance  from  the  top  of 
the  rump  to  the  elbow. 

147 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

A.  i|-  head,  the  length  of  the  neck  from  the  withers  to  the  top  of  the 
head.  The  same  measure  also  gives  the  length  of  the  neck  from  the 
top  of  the  head,  to  its  insertion  into  the  chest. 

A.  I  head,  the  width  of  the  neck  at  its  union  with  the  chest. 

D.  12  parts  of  a  head,  the  width  of  the  neck  in  its  narrowest  part. 

D.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  head,  taken  below 
the  eyes. 

A.  I  head  and  4  parts,  the  thickness  of  the  body,  from  the  middle  of 
the  back  to  the  middle  of  the  belly. 

A.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  body. 

A.  The  same  measure  gives  the  length  of  the  rump  from  its  summit 
to  the  extremity  of  the  buttocks. 

A.  The  same  measure  gives  the  distance  from  the  root  of  the  tail  to 
the  articulation  of  the  femur  with  the  tibia,  commonly  called  the  stifle. 

A.  The  same  measure  gives  the  length  from  the  stifle  to  the  hock. 

A.  The  same  measure  gives  the  height,  from  the  hock  to  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  hoof. 

B.  20  parts  of  a  head,  the  distance  from  the  extremity  of  the 
buttocks  to  the  articulation  of  the  stifle. 

B.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  rump  or  croup. 

E.  10  parts  of  a  head,  the  breadth  of  the  fore-legs  from  their  anterior 
part  to  the  elbow. 

F.  10  parts  of  a  head,  the  breadth  of  one  of  the  hind-legs  taken 
beneath  the  fold  of  the  buttocks. 

F.  8  parts  of  a  head,  the  breadth  of  the  ham  taken  from  the  bend. 

F.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  head  above  the 
nostrils. 

G.  7  parts  of  a  head,  the  distance  of  the  eyes,  from  one  great  angle 
to  the  other. 

G.  The  same  measure  gives  the  distance  between  the  fore-legs. 

H.  5  parts  of  a  head,  the  thickness  of  the  knees. 

H.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  fore-legs  above  the 
knees. 

H.  The  same  measure  gives  the  thickness  of  the  hams. 

I.  4  parts  of  a  head,  the  breadth  of  the  pastern  or  fetlock  joint. 

I.  The  same  measure  gives  the  thickness  of  the  coronet. 

K.  4^  parts  of  a  head,  the  breadth  of  the  coronet. 

148 


^ 


^ 

5N 


s 


N^ 


o 

B9 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

L.  3  parts  of  a  head,  the  thickness  of  the  fore-legs  in  their   nar- 
rowest part. 
L.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  hinder-legs,  or  shanks. 

M.  2f  parts  of  a  head,  the  thickness  of  the  hind  pasterns. 

M.  The  same    measure   gives   the   breadth   of    the   shanks    of   the 
fore-legs. 

N.  2\  parts  of  a  head,  the  thickness  of  the  fore  pasterns. 

N.  The  same  measure  gives  the  breadth  of  the  hind  pasterns. 

O.  if  parts  of  a  head,  the  thickness  of  the  fore  and  hind  shanks. 

Extent  of  Flexion  in  the  Parts  which  compose  the  Extremities. 
F.  All  the  lines  which  proceed  horizontally  and  obliquely  from  the 
centre  to  the  circumference  of  each  circle,  and  on  which  is  the  letter  F, 
mark  the  extent  of  flexion,  either  forward  or  backward. 


The  Fore-Legs. 

A.  The  shoulder  describes  a  portion  of  a  circle,  equal  to  40  degrees, 
both  forward  and  backward,  the  centre  of  its  motion  being  in  the 
middle  of  the  shoulder-blade. 

B.  The  humerus,  or  arm,  is  represented  in  the  centre  of  flexion 
backward  ;  it  describes  40  degrees  in  its  action. 

C.  The  cubitus,  or  fore-arm,  is  represented  at  the  beginning  of  its 
flexion  forward,  and  describes  90  degrees  in  its  action. 

D.  The  shank,  or  canon,  is  at  the  beginning  of  its  flexion  backward 
and  describes  90  degrees  in  its  action. 

E.  The  pastern,  coronet,  and  foot,  describe,  one  with  another,  in 
their  flexion  backward,  100  degrees. 


Recapitulation. 


Degrees. 


B 


D 


E 


.40 


10 


Total  of  the  flexion 
149 


360 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


Hind-Legs. 

G.  The   haunch,  or  os  ileon,  bends  upward  and  downward,   and 
describes  30  degrees  in  its  action. 

H.  The  femur,  or  thigh  bone,  is  represented  in  the  middle  of  its 
flexion  forward  and  describes  50  degrees. 

I.  The  tibia  is  represented  in  one-third  of  its  flexion  backward,  and 
describes  in  the  whole,  80  degrees. 

K.  The  shank  is  represented  in  the  beginning  of  its  flexion  forward, 
and  describes  100  degrees.* 

L.  The  pastern,  coronet,  and  foot,  describe,  one  with  another,  100 
degrees. 


Recapitulation. 


G 

H 

I 

K 
L 


Degrees. 
^O 


10 
10 


Total  of  the  flexion 


360 


We  may  see  by  this,  that  the  legs  of  Eclipse,  in  their  flexion  in  the 
gallop,  described  each  a  circle  of  360  degrees  ;  and  consequently,  the 
extent  of  the  action  of  each  leg  was  the  same  in  the  extension. 

To  this  must  indeed  be  added  the  force  of  action,  without  which  a 
horse  cannot  even  walk.  This  force  depends  chiefly  on  the  power  of 
the  muscles,  and  can  only  be  computed  by  experiment ;  since  they  are 
animated  organs,  which  move  parts  merely  mechanical  :  but,  in 
allowing  Eclipse  a  good  muscular  organisation,  which  he  certainly 
possessed,  we  may,  examining  the  length  and  direction  of  his  legs,  and 
the  greatness  and  openness  of  the  angles,  formed  by  the  alternate 
disposition  of  the  bones  which  composed  his  extremities,  pronounce 
with  the  greatest  probability,  that  Eclipse,  free  of  all  weight,  and 
galloping  at  liberty  in  his  greatest  speed,  could  cover  an  extent  of 
25  feet  at  each  complete  action  on  the  gallop ;  that  he  could  repeat 
this  action  twice  and  one-third  in  each  second  ;   consequently,  that 

*  The  line  of  flexion  of  this  part  is  not  placed  sufificiently  high  in  the  plate. 

150 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

employing  without  reserve  all  his  natural  and  mechanical  faculties  on 
a  straight  line,  he  could  run  nearly  four  miles  in  the  space  of  six 
minutes  and  two  seconds. 

HF.  These  two  letters  placed  in  the  four  prints  of  the  feet,  which 
are  marked  before  and  behind  the  horse's  legs,  show  where  he  placed 
his  hind-  and  fore-feet  in  the  gallop. 

Lines  of  Progn'ssion. 

M.  The  great  segment  of  a  circle,  which  proceeds  from  the  print 
of  one  of  the  hind-feet,  and  enters  the  print  of  one  of  the  fore-feet, 
shows  the  total  extent  of  ground  which  the  horse  covered  at  each 
complete  action  in  the  gallop. 

N.  The  oblique  line,  which  proceeds  from  the  protuberance  of  the 
hip  bone,  and  meets  the  print  of  the  first  hind-foot,  shows  the  total 
extent,  and  the  force  of  action,  of  the  hind-legs. 

O.  The  second  oblique  line,  which  proceeds  in  the  same  manner 
from  the  point  of  the  hip,  and  meets  one  of  the  prints  of  the  fore-feet, 
shows  the  position  of  the  hind-foot  when  it  presses  the  ground  in  the 
act  of  galloping. 

P.  The  third  oblique  line,  which  proceeds  from  the  summit  ot  the 
shoulder,  and  meets  one  of  the  prints  of  the  fore-feet,  shows  the  extent 
and  force  of  action  in  the  fore-legs. 

Q.  The  fourth  oblique  line,  which  proceeds  from  the  shoulder,  and 
meets  the  last  print  of  the  hind-feet,  shows  the  spot  from  whence  the 
fore-foot  rises  in  the  progression,  until  its  action  is  finished. 

R.  The  two  curve  lines  which  proceed,  the  one  from  the  hoof  of  the 
fore-foot,  and  the  other  from  the  hoof  of  the  hind-foot,  mark  simply 
the  compass  of  the  extension  of  the  four  legs. 

After  this  exhaustive  analysis,  which  should  be  care- 
fully read  in  conjunction  with  the  diagrams  to  which  it 
refers,  I  will  only  add  a  few  words  with  reference  to  the 
conformation  of  Eclipse  from  such  passages  as  bear  upon 
my  subject  in  the  works  of  those  well-known  authorities, 
the  late  Captain  M.  H.  Hayes  (in  "  The  Points  of  a  Horse," 
second  edition,  1897),  ^"d  Major-General  Sir  John  Hills, 
R.E.,  K.C.B.  (in  "Points  of  a  Racehorse,"  1903);  and  it 
will  then  only  be  necessary  to  complete  what  survey  is  now 

151 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

possible  to  us  of  this  vital  question  by  a  consideration  of 
the  more  modern  types  (and  skulls)  which  I  reproduce  in 
these  pages. 

The  difficulties  of  measurement  will  be  immediately 
apparent — apart  from  the  question  about  bones  already 
mentioned — if  I  give  here  a  comparison  of  three  measure- 
ments as  taken  from  Eclipse  by  Saint  Bel,  and  from 
Ormonde  and  St.  Simon  by  Captain  Hayes.  It  is 
necessary  to  remember  that  Saint  Bel  says  (i)  the  height 
of  Eclipse  from  Avithers  to  ground  was  three  heads ; 
(2)  this  height  was  66  inches ;  (3)  Eclipses  head-mea- 
surement was  divided  into  twenty-two  equal  parts. 
From  these  statements  it  is  a  simple  calculation  that 
Eclipse  s  head  was  twenty-two  inches  long  and  St. 
Bel's  "part"  corresponds  to  one  inch.  The  question  at 
once  arises  how  Saint  Bel  arrived  at  his  various  measure- 
ments for  Eclipse  s  head,  height  at  withers,  and  length  of 
body.  If  he  took  them  when  the  horse  was  alive,  as  Cap- 
tain Hayes  did  with  Ormonde  (at  4  yrs.)  and  St.  Simon 
(at  3  yrs.),  we  reach  the  curious  fact  that  Eclipse  was  a 
little  taller  (at  25  yrs.),  and  had  a  much  longer  body  but 
a  much  shorter  head  than  his  modern  descendants.  If 
you  explain  the  shorter  head  by  saying  that  Saint  Bel  mea- 
sured the  skull,  while  Captain  Hayes  had  living  subjects,  it 
is  even  more  impossible  than  before  to  understand  the 
other  two  measurements. 

The  table  is  as  follows  : 


Capt"  Hayes 

Saint  Bel 

in  1887 

in  1884 

in  1789 

Ormonde 

St.  Simon 

Eclipse 

4  yrs.  old 

3  yrs.  old. 

2  5  yrs.  old 

Height  at  withers 

.    64        .. 

•         63i         .. 

66 

Length  of  body 

.    61^ 

•        59i        •• 

.         69 

Length  of  head 

.     24I 

24 

22 

The  differences  here  emphasised  cannot  be  fully  ex- 
plained by  the  fact  that  Ormonde  and  St.  Simon  were 
measured  without  shoes,  whereas  Saint   Bel  does  not  say 

152 


SKULL  UK  ECLIPSE 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

whether  Eclipse  wore  shoes  or  not.  For  we  have  already 
had  the  evidence  of  Bracy  Clark  that  towards  the  end 
"  Eclipses  fore-feet  were  dropped  in  the  hoofs  and  foundered 
and  his  coffin-bones  were  very  much  rounded  and  diminished 
by  absorption,"  so  that  apart  from  all  other  considerations 
we  should  not  have  expected  Saint  Bel  to  have  found  him 
so  tall.  The  great  increase  over  St.  Simon  in  length  of 
body  is  an  even  clearer  proof  that  we  are  dealing  with 
different  methods  of  measurement ;  for  Captain  Hayes  has 
established  that,  as  a  class,  shire  horses  are  about  nine 
inches  longer  than  their  height,  whereas  racehorses,  as  a 
class,  are  some  three  inches  higher  than  their  length. 
"  Short  on  the  leg,"  in  fact,  implies,  in  his  opinion,  strength 
rather  than  speed,  and  a  short-legged  horse,  whose  length 
was  greater  than  his  height,  would,  according  to  his  figures, 
be  more  fitted  for  the  cart  than  the  race-track.  Most 
unfortunately  Captain  Hayes  says  as  little  as  Saint  Bel 
about  the  method  of  measurement  employed  to  arrive  at 
the  statistics  he  publishes. 

The  measurements  of  Lord  Rockingham's  Sampson, 
said  to  be  "  the  largest-boned  bloodhorse  ever  bred,"  have 
been  preserved,  so  I  will  reproduce  them  here,  together 
with  those  of  Lord  Howard  de  Walden's  Zinfandel,  but 
again  I  must  warn  the  reader  that  I  cannot  guarantee  the 
two  horses  having  been  measured  in  exactly  the  same  way. 

Sampson  (1745)  Zinfandel  (1900) 

15  hands  2  16  hands  2 

Coronary  band  to  centre  f  fore-leg    .      4  inches        ...         5 J  inches, 
of  fetlock      .        .        .  \  hind-leg    .  „  ...        6^      „ 

Centre  of  fetlock  to  centre  r  .,„  .„  ^^  ^^1 

of  knee  .        .        .  {  ^^^^'^^S    "      "      "  -       ^^^      " 

Bend  of  knee  to  elbow     .  19     „  ...       19I      „ 

,  ,       f  below  knee      81V    „  ...        8i 

Least  measure  round  '""  ' 


leg{ 


below  hock    9      „  ...        9f 


It  is   also  fortunately  possible   to  correct  by  practical 
experience   the    statement     of    Vial    de    Saint    Bel   that 

153 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Eclipse  covered  "  25  feet  at  each  complete  action  on  the 
gallop  .  .  .  free  of  weight  and  galloping  at  liberty."  This 
was  evidently  the  result  of  mathematical  calculation  ;  but  it 
will  be  found  to  be  as  good  an  instance  of  accurate  foresight 
as  the  same  clever  author's  deduction  from  general  princi- 
ples of  the  position  of  the  legs,  now  shown  to  exist  by 
instantaneous  photography.  For  Saint  Bel  gives  Eclipses 
full  stride  without  a  jockey  as  twenty-five  feet,  and  his 
descendant,  diaries  XII! s,  full  stride  as  he  passed  the  post 
for  his  dead-heat  in  the  St.  Leger  of  1839  was  measured  to 
be  24  feet  t\  inches. 

Captain  Hayes,  whose  recent  death  all  lovers  of  the 
horse  deplore,  also  deprecated,  in  the  case  of  racehorses,  any 
appreciable  increase  in  height  at  the  croup  over  the  height  at 
the  withers,  an  increase  which  we  know,  both  from  eye- 
witnesses and  from  Saint  Bel,  existed  notably  in  Eclipse. 
Captain  Hayes  also  puts  the  limit  of  useful  height  in  race- 
horses at  16.3,  within  which  Eclipse  certainly  was,  at  the 
withers.  But  then.  Admiral  Rous,  in  stating  the  result  of 
the  long  observations  of  his  racing  life,  put  the  increase  in 
the  height  of  racehorses  at  one  inch  in  every  twenty-five 
years  since  the  eighteenth  century.  Taking  him  to  mean 
the  average  height  of  the  best  on  the  Turf  at  each  period, 
the  generalisation  must  undoubtedly  be  taken  to  be  correct, 
unless  the  mass  of  facts  we  have  about  eighteenth-century 
racing.  Give-and-take  Plates,  and  so  forth,  are  all  based  on 
incorrect  measurement.  Any  one  who  can  remember 
English  racing  since  1850,  and  who  has  visited  the  paddock 
at  Epsom  in  most  subsequent  years,  will  admit  that  the 
average  height  of  the  field  for  the  Derby  and  the  Oaks  is 
much  greater  than  it  used  to  be.  Now  and  then  we  get  a 
throw-back  like  The  Bard  (15. i)  who,  I  take  it,  was  about 
the  size  of  the  best  of  the  old  ones  and  was  only  beaten 
because  the  best  of  our  fields  could  outstride  him. 

In  the  Derby  of  1906,  for  instance,  Lally  was  16.2, 
nearly  all  the  others  were  16,  and  there  was  nothing  under 
15.2.  In  such  a  large  field  you  will  never  find  nowadays 
horses  as  small  as  Little  Wonder   (15  hds.),  Amato  (15), 

154 


'A      a. 


-J 

'•J 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

Daniel  ORoiirke  (14.3)  who  won  in  1840,  1838,  and  1852 
respectively,  or  even  as  Little  Red  Rover,  Perion,  and  The 
Bard -who  ran  second. 

On  the  whole,  in  fact,  the  average  nowadays,  among  the 
first  flight,  would  be  over  16  hands,  whereas  in  1745  15.2 
(the  height  of  Sampso)i)  was  considered  to  be  gigantic. 
What  must  they  have  thought  of  Eclipse  s  height  when 
he  was  foaled  in  1764?  Not  much,  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  relatively  low  price  Wildman  gave  for  him  ; 
and  my  own  opinion  is  that  15.2  hands  is  much  nearer 
Eclipses  real  height  than  the  figures  given  by  Saint 
Bel.  Captain  Hayes  thought  English  horses  had  increased 
an  average  of  an  inch  in  height  between  1867  and 
1897,  and  that  the  average  horse  was  six  inches  taller  than 
he  was  200  years  ago.  This,  though  a  more  conservative 
estimate  than  that  of  Admiral  Rous,  tends  equally  to 
confirm  my  suspicion  as  to  Saint  Bel's  figures  ;  for  I  have 
nowhere  found  any  contemporary  evidence  remarking  on 
Eclipses  abnormal  stature,  which  would  have  certainly 
been  mentioned  if  he  had  been  16.2,  in  spite  of  the  well- 
known  fact  that  a  perfectly  proportioned  animal  never  looks 
so  tall  as  he  really  is. 

When  we  come  to  principles  of  conformation,  we  are  on 
much  safer  ground,  and  my  readers  will  no  doubt  be  glad 
to  leave  those  questions  of  exact  measurement,  which  were 
only  introduced  here  owing  to  their  vital  importance  to 
both  biologists  and  breeders,  and  owing  to  my  earnest 
desire  that  some  agreement  among  scientific  men  may 
shortly  be  reached  by  which  these  problems  may  finally  be 
placed  on  a  more  accurate  basis. 

An  examination  of  Stubbs's  portrait,  which  is  reproduced 
with  this  chapter  because  it  is  more  carefully  and  accurately 
done  than  any  other  known  picture  of  Eclipse,  will  show 
that  he  exhibited  most  of  the  points  laid  down  by  Captain 
Hayes  as  essential  to  a  racehorse,  e.g.,  flat  loins,  broad  gas- 
kins,  long  neck,  light  forehead,  flat  shoulders,  high  and  long 
withers,  long  and  straight-dropped  hind-legs.  But  Sir  John 
Hills  has  gone  more  carefully  into  this  matter  than    did 

155 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Captain  Hayes,  who,  he  points  out,  did  not  realise  the  vital 
importance  of  a  long  femur  ending  in  a  low  and  well- 
developed  and  muscular  stifle-bone  and  joint,  turned  well 
outward,  such  as  was  almost  perfectly  exemplified  in 
Bendigo.  This  conformation  enables  a  horse  to  tuck  his 
legs  well  under  and  increase  his  stride.  The  greyhound 
does  not  gallop  in  the  same  way  as  a  horse  does,  though 
our  forefathers  evidently  thought  it  did,  before  the  inven- 
tion of  instantaneous  photography  ;  but  it  is  chiefly  enabled 
to  get  along  so  fast  after  a  hare  because  its  hind-legs  are 
brought  so  far  under  that  they  pass  beyond  the  fore,  owing 
to  its  very  long  femur ;  and  these  hind-legs  can  overlap  the 
fore-legs  during  the  process  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
stifle-joint  is  well  turned  out.  This,  then,  is  clearly  one 
cardinal  point  in  the  conformation  necessary  for  speed. 

A  second  essential  is  the  angle  of  the  slope  from  the 
point  of  the  shoulder  to  the  point  of  the  elbow,  which  should 
be  as  nearly  perpendicular  as  possible,  and  this  is  much 
more  important  than  the  slope  of  the  shoulder-blade  from 
the  withers  to  the  point  of  the  shoulder,  which  is  excellent 
in  its  way,  but  should  not  be  valued  more  highly  than  the 
principle  just  mentioned,  as  is  usually  the  case.  The  longer 
and  more  upright  the  slope  from  the  point  of  the  shoulder 
to  the  point  of  the  elbow,  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  the 
shoulder-blade,  the  better ;  and  the  elbow  should  be  low, 
free  from  the  body,  with  a  large  and  prominent  joint.  This 
implies  a  proportionately  longer  and  a  more  perpendicularly- 
placed  humerus  than  is  usual  in  any  but  the  best  horses. 
In  the  case  of  Ormonde,  his  humerus  was  nearly  as  long  as 
his  shoulder-blade,  and  the  slope  was  remarkably  upright. 
Here  the  pendulistic  action  of  the  humerus  fulfils  the  same 
functions  as  the  pendulistic  action  of  the  femur  in  the  hind 
quarters.  The  lower  portion  of  the  shoulder-blade  should, 
in  fact,  possess  some  degree  of  free  movement  and  play, 
and  the  joint  should  appear  loose  and  easy.  This  is  much 
more  important  than  the  position  and  slope  of  the  shoulder- 
blade  at  rest,  because  the  angle  passed  through  by  the 
humerus  at  a  gallop  is  very  great,  as  in  the  case  of  the  femur, 

156 


y.    — 


3    3 


DEATH  OF  ECLIPSE 

and  therefore  the  more  nearly  perpendicular  the  natural 
position  of  the  humerus  is  when  at  rest,  the  further  forward 
will  the  fore-leg  swing  in  passing  through  this  angle  of 
movement.  The  effect  of  this  may  be  noticed  more  clearly 
in  the  greyhound  than  in  the  horse,  as  we  observed  in 
the  previous  case  of  the  movement  of  the  femur. 

The  gradual  prolongation  of  the  humerus  in  proportion 
to  the  scapula  in  various  animals  can  also  be  shown  to  be 
exactly  commensurate  with  their  relative  speeds.  In  the 
horse  the  humerus  is  generally  shorter  than  the  scapula, 
except  in  the  case  of  such  remarkable  animals  as  Ormonde 
or  Eclipse.  In  the  antelope  tribe  it  is  slightly  longer.  In 
the  cheetah  it  is  30  per  cent,  longer.  In  the  lynx  it  is 
60  per  cent,  longer. 

Sir  John  Hills  says  that  in  Eclipse  the  scapula  was 
reputed  to  be  14!  inches  and  the  humerus  I2f ;  but  an 
examination  of  my  photographs,  accompanied  as  they  are 
by  a  measuring  wand,  will  show  that  there  seems  to  be 
much  less  difference  than  this.  Sir  John  Hills  also  gives 
Hermit's  measurements  as  15^  inches  for  the  scapula  and 
13!  for  the  humerus,  concerning  which  the  same  considera- 
tions I  have  mentioned  before,  as  to  the  absence  of  a 
scientific  standard,  must  unfortunately  apply. 

Returning  for  a  moment  to  the  femur  and  stifle-joint,  it 
will  complete  Sir  John  Hill's  synopsis  of  the  cardinal  points 
of  a  racer  if  I  add  that  his  third  essential  is  power  in  the 
loins  and  length  in  the  quarters,  which  promise  the  quick 
striking  necessary  to  give  the  best  use  to  the  best  machinery. 
It  is  also  true  that  most  good  walkers  can  gallop  fast.  If, 
in  walking,  a  colt  places  his  hind-foot  well  beyond  and 
slightly  outside  the  fore-foot,  while  his  fore-legs  move 
freely  forward  with  a  sort  of  swing,  and  the  hoof  moves 
well  in  front  of  the  point  of  the  shoulder,  his  action  will 
probably  be  good  at  all  paces.  At  the  gallop  his  hind- 
legs  should  be  well  tucked  under  him  and  the  action  of  the 
fore-legs  should  be  low,  level,  smooth  and  well  extended. 
As  a  type  of  what  we  have  developed  since  Eclipses  day. 
Persimmon  may  well  be  taken,  for  it  would  be  difficult  to 

157 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

find  a  Derby  winner  better  built.  He  has  great  depth  from 
withers  to  brisket,  a  perfectly-made  straight  hind-leg,  both 
from  stifle  and  from  rump  to  pastern,  with  good  gaskins, 
low  and  well-developed  stifle,  long  and  perpendicularly- 
placed  humerus,  a  free  elbow  and  a  fine  shoulder.  He 
descends  in  direct  tail-male  from  Eclipse,  and  no  doubt  has 
preserved  some  of  the  best  points  of  O' Kelly's  stallion  in 
his  own  beautiful  conformation. 


158 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ANDREW   O'KELLY,   THE    HEIR 

Inundatione  equorum  ejus  operiet  te  pulvis  eorum  ;   a  sonitu  equitum  et 
rotarum  et  curruum  movebuntur  muri  tui 

Part  I.— AT  THE  RACE 

Mares  sent  to  Z3i(«^a«;!o«  from  1788  to  1798 — Colours  on  the  Turf  from 
1764  to  1820 — The  Prince  of  Wales's  Bill — The  Prince's  Stud — Lord 
Belfast,  afterwards  Lord  Donegal — His  Letters — His  Purchases— His 
Complicated  Financial  Transactions — His  Bills — William  Whaley — Loans, 
Drafts,  and  Agreements — Dispute  as  to  Sales — O'Kelly's  Stud  in  1790 — 
Lord  Egremont — Sir  F.  Standish — Mr.  Concannon — Letters  from  Brighton 

Races — Stable  Accounts — Horses  at    Wycombe — Trifle  and    Wrangler 

Sam  Chifney's  Annuity — The  Escape  Incident — Chifney's  Letter — Vivaldi 
and  Water — Schedotia — Captain  Marston — Major  St.  Paul— General  Lake 
— O'Kelly's  Horses  in  1805. 

A  NDREW  O'KELLY,  who  took  so  much  pains  to 
/\  preserve  for  the  world  the  proportions  of  Eclipse, 
r-\  was  very  far  from  observing  those  conditions  in 
JL  V  his  uncle's  will  which  were  calculated  to  stop  his 
following  in  the  Colonel's  footsteps  on  the  Turf.  It  was 
perhaps  asking  too  much  of  the  man  who  owned  Eclipse, 
Dmigannon,  Volunteer  and  Vertiminus,  and  who  would  take 
a  lively  interest  in  the  doings  of  such  famous  sons  of  Eclipse 
as  PotSos,  Phosphorus,  Jtipiter,  Thunderbolt  and  Sorcerer. 
In  any  case  Andrew  O'Kelly  was  a  friend  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales  when  "  George  P."  was  at  the  zenith  of  his  racing 
career,  and  his  election  to  the  Jockey  Club  soon  after  the 
death  of  Dennis  does  not  look  very  much  as  if  his  uncle's 

159 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

wishes  had  been  strictly  observed.  There  must  have  been 
some  way  out  of  it,  for  the  racing  memoranda  of  his,  which 
have  been  kindly  lent  me  by  two  of  his  collateral  descend- 
ants, are  full  of  unquestionable  documentary  evidence  that 
he  raced  a  great  deal. 

On  January  25,  1788,  he  gave  a  power  of  attorney  to  his 
father,  Philip  O'Kelly,  to  secure  the  fees  on  mares  covered 
at  Clay  Hill,  and  I  am  able  to  publish  here  Dungannon  s 
list  from  1788  to  1798,  which  is  of  great  interest : 


res  Cov'd  by  Dungannon  1788 

N 

0.  of  mares 

No. 

of  mares 

Mr  Croke    . 

I 

Lord  Grosvenor . 

3 

LI  G.  H.  Cavendish   . 

I 

S'  George  Armytage  . 
Duke  of  Grafton 

2 
I 

Rev<»  Mr  Rose     . 
S'  John  Key 

I 
I 

Mr  Bailey  . 

I 

Mr  Phillips 

2 

Champion  Dymark     . 

I 

Mr  Martin  . 

I 

Duke  of  Bedford 

6 

Dungannon  1790 

Mr  Hull      . 

I 

Capt"  Key  . 

2 

Mr  Broadhurst  . 

I 

Councillor  Lad  . 

I 

Mr  Galloway 

I 

John  Lowther  Esq'    . 

I 

L**  Barrymore    . 

I 

Mr  Bullock 

I 

Mr  Phillips 

I 

Mr  Broadhurst  . 

3 

U"  Clermont 

2 

Capt"  Smith 

I 

H.R.H.     Prince      of 

Honb'^          George 

Wales      . 

2 

Villiers   . 

I 

Capt°  Smith 

I 

H.R.H.  the  Prince  of 

Wales      . 

2 

Dungannon  1789 

Earl  Strathmore 

2 

S'  George  Armytage  . 

3 

Duke  of  Grafton 

3 

S'  John  Webb    . 

2 

Mr.  Golden 

I 

John  Graham  Esq'     . 

I 

Rev"*  Mr.  Rose   . 

I 

Mr.  Broadhurst  . 

2 

Mr  Bott      . 

2 

H.R.H.     Prince      of 

Duke  of  Bedford 

3 

Wales      . 

2 

Mr  Baldock 

I 

Duke  of  Bedford 

3 

Mr  Pelham 

I 

S'  Charles  Bunbury    . 

I 

S'  Charles  Bunbury   . 

I 

Duke  of  Norfolk 

2 

Mr  Goodesson    . 

I 

John   Barker  Church 

Councillor  Morgan     . 

I 

Esq. 

I 

Mr  Hamilton      . 

I 

160 


b 

Q 

o 

M 

a; 

N 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 


DUNGANNON  1791 

No. 

of  mares 

No. 

of  mare*? 

Mr  Goodesson    . 

I 

Mr  Richardson   . 

I 

Mr  Chambers     . 

I 

S'  George  Armytage  . 

3 

DUNGANNON  1 794 

John  Lowther  Esq'    . 

I 

Councillor  Lad  . 

I 

Baron  de  Robeck 

I 

Mr  Croke    . 

I 

Mr  Stirling 

2 

Mr  Ladbroke 

I 

EdW*  Corbett  Esq'    . 

7 

Earl  of  Strathmore     . 

2 

Mr  Crosby . 

I 

H.R.H.  the  Prince  of 

Mr  Golding 

3 

Wales     . 

2 

Duke  of  Queensbury 

I 

Duke  of  Bedford 

I 

Mr  Bradshaw     . 

I 

Duke  of  Grafton 

I 

Mr  Bailey  . 

I 

Mr  Bott      . 

2 

Mr  White    . 

I 

Lord  Kensington 

I 

Mr  Chambers 

I 

DUNGANNON  1795 

Ur  Baldock 

I 

U  Belfast  . 

I 

Tho^  Bowes  Esq' 

I 

DUNGANNON  1 792 

Coin'  Strutt 

I 

Councillor  Lad  . 

I 

DUNGANNON  1 796 

Capt"  Smith 

I 

S'  Frederick  Vane 

2 

L^  Belfast  . 

I 

Count  Lindeneau 

4 

Mr  Bott      . 

I 

Mr  Stirling 

I 

Mr  Rutter  . 

I 

Duke  of  Grafton 

I 

Mr  Wright . 

I 

Mr  Holt      . 

I 

J.  H.  Durand  Esq'     . 

3 

Duke  of  Bedford 

I 

W™  Herrick  Esq' 

1 

DUNGANNON  1797 

J.  P.  Chichester  Esq'. 

I 

Duke  of  Grafton 

I 

S'  Gilbert  Heathcote  . 

I 

DUNGANNON  1793 

Mr  Ramsbottom 

I 

Mr  Holt     . 

2 

L"  Belfast  . 

I 

DUNGANNON  1 798 

Mr  Stirling 

3 

Edw"*  Corbett  Esq'    . 

6 

W"  Herrick  Esq' 

I 

Mr  Rutter  . 

I 

Duke  of  Grafton 

2 

Mr  Smith    . 

I 

Rob'  Ladbroke  Esq'  . 

I 

Dr  Moorcroft     . 

I 

This  gives  one  of  the  best  possible  lists  of  breeders  on 
the  Turf  during  a  very  important  decade,  and  though  I 
reproduce  the  exact  spelling  of  the  original  manuscript,  a 

161  L 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

large  number  of  the  names  will  easily  be  recognised.  In 
1788,  "  Dymark,"  for  instance,  is  now  spelt  Dymoke,  and 
the  privilege  of  his  family,  as  "  champion  "  of  the  Kings  of 
England,  was  fully  described  on  the  occasion  of  the  last 
coronation.  The  Prince  of  Wales,  it  will  be  noticed,  sent 
two  mares  the  year  after  Dennis's  death,  and  continued  to 
do  so  until  1791,  the  date  of  the  Escape  cata.strophe.  The 
name  of  Sir  Charles  Bunbury  occurs  in  1789,  when  a 
clergyman,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rose,  appears,  as  he  does  in 
1790  also.  In  1794  occurs  the  Baron  de  Robeck,  and  all 
lovers  of  hunting  will  remember  that  to  the  end  of  the 
season  1905-6,  a  Baron  de  Robeck  was  Master  of  the  Kil- 
dare  Foxhounds.  There  are  many  other  well-known  names 
on  which  I  need  not  linger,  and  it  will  perhaps  be  con- 
venient to  insert  in  this  place  a  list  of  the  colours  worn  in 
those  days  by  prominent  racing  men.  Among  other  colours 
given  in  J.  B.  Muir's  "  Raciana,"  during  the  period  from 
1764  to  1820,  are  : 

Blue  &  white  stripe. 

Skyblue,  black  cap. 

Yellow  with  black  velvet 
spots,  black  cap  with 
yellow  spots. 

Black  &  white  stripe. 

Green  &  white  stripe. 

Purple  with  green  stripe. 

Lilac,  straw  coloured  cap. 

Broad  blue  &  yellow  stripe. 

Purple,  with  white  stripe. 

Red,  black  cap. 

Orange,  maroon  cap. 

Light  orange. 

Green,  black  cap. 

Purple  &  buff. 

Straw  trimmed  with  purple. 

White,  black  cap. 

Yellow  with  purple  &  yellow 
cap. 

Black  &  white,  paned. 

Straw,  black  cap. 


Lord  Abingdon    . 

•     1774 

M^  A.  Annesley  . 

.     1796 

Sir  G.  Armytage  B'.    . 

•     1790 

Sir  Willoughby  Aston  B' 

.    .     1789 

M'.  Ayrton  . 

•     1790 

Sir  C.  Bamfylde  B'.     . 

•     1777 

Hn.  J.  S.  Barry   . 

•     1792 

Earl  of  Barrymore 

•     1792 

Duke  of  Bedford 

•     1792 

Earl  of  Belfast     . 

■     1794 

Lo.  Edw.  Bentinck     . 

•     1779 

Duke  of  Bolton  . 

•     1777 

Lord  Baringdon . 

•     1783 

M'.  Thos  :  Brand 

•     1775 

M'.  Thos  :  Bullock      . 

•     1783 

The  Earl  of  Burford  . 

.     1800 

M\  Burlton 

.     1780 

Lord  Carteret 

•     1784 

Lord  Cavendish  . 

.     1789 

162 

ANDREW  O'KELLY 


Col  :  Charlton      . 

1793     • 

Black. 

Earl  of  Clarendon 

1796     . 

Black  waistcoat,  red  cap. 

Lord  Clermont  . 

1772     . 

Scarlet. 

M".  L.  Concannon 

1796     . 

Purple  with  black  cap. 

(» 

1799     . 

Broad  pink  &  white  stripe. 

M'.  J.  Cookson     . 

1798     . 

Purple,  strawcoloured  cap. 

Hon.  T.  W.  Coventry . 

1800     . 

Buff  and  blue. 

Lord  Craven 

1773     • 

White  satin,  crimson  cap. 

Earl  of  Darlington 

1792     . 

Pink  &  black  Stripe. 

Sir  Ch.  Davers  B', 

1779     . 

Black  &  white. 

NP.  E.  H.  Delm6 

1796     . 

Blue  trimmed  with  pink, 
black  cap. 

Earl  of  Derby 

1780     . 

Green  &  white  stripe. 

,,                 .         .         . 

1788     . 

Black,  white  cap. 

M'.  Dodsworth   . 

1794     . 

White,  black  cap. 

Marquis  of  Donegall   . 

1792 

Blue  &  yellow  stripe. 

J)                                            • 

1800 

Black. 

Sir  Th :  Dundas  . 

.     1782 

White,  scarlet  spots. 

Earl  of  Eglinton 

1811 

Tartan  waistcoat  &  cap. 

Earl  of  Egremont 

.     1781 

Green,  white  stripe. 

)  J                                            • 

.     1788 

Dark  green,  black  cap. 

M^  W.  Fenwick  . 

•     1773 

Red,  black  cap. 

Sir  H.  Fetherstonhaugh  B' 

.     1781 

.     Yellow,  black  cap. 

Earl  Fitzwilliam  , 

•     1790 

.     Dark  green,  black  cap. 

Sir  Thos:  Gascoigne  B'. 

•     1779 

Black  &  white  quartered. 

IVP.  Gascoyne 

•     1774 

Peagreen  &  red  stripe. 

M^  H.  Goodricke 

1790 

Grey,  crimson  stripe,  white 
cap. 

Hon.  M'.  Greville 

•     1775 

.     Green  &  white  stripe. 

Duke  of  Hamilton 

•     1790 

.     White,  crimson  sleeves, 
black  cap. 

Hon.  G.  Hanger 

•     1777 

Harlequin. 

Sir  J.  Honeywood  B*. 

•     1796 

.  Purple  waistcoat,  orange 
sleeves  &  cap. 

NP.  Jennings 

•     1777 

.  Black,  white  girdle,  black 
&  white  cap. 

Earl  of  Jersey 

.     1809 

.  Dark  blue,  white  stripe 
black  cap. 

Sir  John  Lade  B^ 

.     1780 

.     Straw,  trimmed  with  purple. 

M"^.  Warwick  Lake 

.     1804 

.     Purple,  black  cap. 

Earl  of  Lauderdale 

•     1791 

.     Black. 

Miss  Le  Clerc 

.     1806 

.  White  &  yellow,  black 
cap. 

163 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


Sir  J.  F.  Leicester  B'. 

•     1792 

Earl  of  Lonsdale 

•     1792 

Sir  H.  Mainwaring  B'. 

.     1807 

Lord  Milsintown 

.     1801 

Lord  Monson 

.     1807 

Lord  Montgomerie 

.     1807 

M',  Montolieu     . 

•     1792 

M'-.  Thos.  Panton 

•     1773 

>> 

•     1792 

Sir  Fernando  Poole  B'. 

1801 

M^  Pratt     . 

1773 

Col :  Radcliffe      . 

•     1790 

M'-.  Delme  Radcliffe    . 

•     1796 

Duke  of  Richmond     . 

1806 

Sir  M.  White  Ridley  B'. 

1812 

Duke  of  Rutland 

1808 

Viscount  Sackville 

1792 

Hon.  R.  L.  Saville      . 

1802 

Sir  C.  Sedley  B'. 

1773 

Sir  John  Shelley  B'.    . 

1779 

)> 

1804 

General  Smith     . 

1781 

Lord  Sondes 

1798 

Duke  of  St.  Albans     . 

1792 

Sir  Frank  Standish  B'. 

1783 

Earl  of  Strathmore 

1802 

Sir  M.  M.  Sykes  B'.     . 

1806 

Col  :  Tarleton      . 

1792 

Sir  H.  V.  Tempest  B'. 

1796 

Sir  Ch.  Turner  B*. 

1781 

Sir  W.  Vavasour  B'     . 

1790 

Lord  Vere   . 

1783 

Sir  T.  Wallace  B*. 

1796 

M'.  J.  B.  Warren 

1760 

Sir  John  Webb  B'.      . 

1790 

'urple,  edged  with  gold. 
Orange. 

Blue,  black  cap. 
Orange  &  green. 
Scarlet  body,  white  sleeves, 

scarlet  cap. 
Yellow    body,    blue    sleeves 

&  cap. 
Orange. 
Buff. 

White,  red  cap. 
Black. 

Red,  black  cap. 
Crimson,  black  cap. 
Blue,    trimmed    with    pink, 

black  cap. 
Yellow,  red  cap. 
Pink,  white  stripe. 
Blue  with  purple  sleeves. 
White  with  black  cap. 
Green  &  white. 
Blue,  black  cap. 
Purple,  black  cap. 
Black,  white  cap. 
Scarlet. 

Deep  yellow,  green  cap. 
Orange  &  green   stripe,  black 

cap. 
Mazarine  blue. 
Black. 
Orange,    purple    sleeves     & 

cap. 
Black,  green  cap. 
Yellow  &  lilac  stripe. 
Orange. 

Black,  yellow  stripe. 
Orcincfp      /6-      green 


164 


Orange 

black  cap 
Purple    and    orange 

black  cap. 
Red,  black  cap. 
Yellow,      black 
cap. 


stripe, 
stripe, 

arms,      red 


5    s 


i2    -5. 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 


Colonel  Whaley  . 

.     1817 

M'.  W.  Whaley    . 

.     1800 

Earl  of  Wilton     . 

.     1810 

Earl  of  Winchilsea 

•     1792 

Sir  Roland  Winn  B*.    . 

.     1802 

Hon.  C.  Wyndhain 

.     1782 

Sir  W.  W.  Wynn  B'.  . 

.     1802 

White  cambric  body,  right 
sleeve  coquelicot  satin, 
white  cap  tied  with 
coquelicot. 

White  cambric  body,  with 
satin  coquelicot  sleeves, 
coquelicot  velvet  cap. 

Mazarine  blue,  black  cap. 

Yellow,  black  cap. 

Straw. 

Yellow,  blue  cap. 

Green  &  red  waistcoat. 


Colonel  Dennis  O'  Kelly's  colours  were,  as  we  have  seen, 
scarlet  with  a  black  cap,  and  no  others  are  correct  for  a 
picture  of  Eclipse  when  racing,  though  even  contemporary 
authorities  like  J.  N.  Sartorius  are  occasionally  wrong. 

In  1792  Andrew  O' Kelly  had  scarlet  with  a  light-blue  cap. 
The  Prince  of  Wales  used  in 

1783 — Crimson  waistcoat,  purple  sleeves,  blackcap. 

1790 — Purple,  white  striped  waistcoat  with  scarlet  and  white  striped 

sleeves,  black  cap. 
1792 — Purple  waistcoat,  scarlet  sleeves  trimmed  with  gold,  black  cap. 
1801 — Crimson  waistcoat  with  purple  sleeves,  black  cap. 
1806 — Purple  waistcoat  with  scarlet  sleeves  trimmed  with  gold,  black 

cap. 

George  IV.  in 

1827 — Crimson  body,  gold  lace,  purple  sleeves,  black  cap. 

I  am  also  able  to  reproduce  one  of  Philip  O'Kelly's  bills 
sent  in  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  which  seems  to  show  that 
Andrew  O'Kelly  had  a  kind  of  racing  partnership,  in  certain 
cases,  with  His  Royal  Highness  in  1788,  1789  and  1790. 
The  Mr.  Lake  mentioned  at  the  end  of  the  account  is 
evidently  the  superintendent  of  the  Prince's  stables  men- 
tioned by  Sam  Chifney  in  "  Genius  Genuine,"  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Escape  incident,  of  which  I  shall  have  more  to 
say,  for  it  will  be  a  new  fact  to  most  followers  of  racing 

165 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

history  that  after  Chifney  exchanged  the  annuity  granted 
him  by  the  Prince  for  a  capital  sum,  it  was  Andrew  O'Kelly 
who  guaranteed  its  payment. 
The  bill  is  as  follows  : 


1788. 
1789. 

1790. 


His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales  D'.  to  P.  O'Kelly. 

Scota  at  Newmarket  won  50  and  100 

D"  King's  Plate  at  d"      100    . 
Gunpowder  two  fiftys  at  Stafford  100 
Scota  at  Lewes  60   . 
Gunpowder  50  at  Newmarket 
50  at  Huntingdon 
and  50  at  Stafford  150 


1789.  Colt  Miss  Kitty  by  Volunteer 

1790.  D°     by  Dungannon 
1789.         D°     Omar  Mare  . 
1789.        D"     Duchess 

His  bill  for  cover  and  keep 


For  three  years  for  Scota 
as  p.  agreement    , 


;^75 

0 

0 

50 

0 

0 

50 

0 

0 

30 

0 

0 

75 

0 

0 

280 

0 

0 

157 

10 

0 

157 

10 

0 

525 

0 

0 

525 

0 

0 

209 

5 

0 

Rec'^  W.  Lake  Esq" 


1854 

5 

0 

315 

0 

0 

2169 

5 

0 

100 

0 

0 

2069 

5 

0 

In  connection  with  the  bill  reproduced  above,  it  will  be 
remembered  that  the  Prince  won  the  Derby  in  1788,  and 
scored  185  wins  between  1784  and  1792,  involving  (exclu- 
sive of  stakes  and  plates)  a  sum  of  32,688  guineas.  In 
1788  alone  he  won  ;,^40oo,  besides  his  Derby,  and  in  1792 
he  won  ^^7700  by  means  of  Whisky,  Cleopatra  and  Qtteen 
of  Sheba,  who  were  all  hy  Saltram,  a  son  of  Eclipse.  In 
1 79 1  the  Prince's  winners  included  : 

Devi  Sing  by  Eclipse  (150  gs.  and  ;^5o  at  Lewes). 
Don  Quixote  by  Eclipse  (100  gs.  and  £yi  at  Newmarket). 

166 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Pcgnsjis  by  Eclipse  (King's  Plate  at  Newmarket  and  140  gs.  at  Stock- 
bridge). 

Serpent  by  Eclipse  (80  gs.  at  Brighton,  the  Lady's  Plate  and  60  gs.  at 
Lewes). 

Sf.  David  hy  Saltrain  (Second  class  of  the  Prince's  Stakes  at  New- 
market). 

Baronet  by  Vertumnus  (Oatlands  at  Ascot,  and  King's  Plates  at  Win- 
chester, Lewes,  Canterbury  and  Newmarket). 

Cleinciitiiia  by  Vcrtinnmis  {£'i,o  at  Swaffham  and  200  gs.  at  New- 
market). 

This  list  does  not  include  such  good  ones  as  Amelia, 
Escape,  and  Traveller,  all  hy  Highflyer,  or  as  Mademoiselle, 
by  Diomed,  and  Creeper,  by  Tandem;  but  it  shows  pretty 
conclusively  the  interest  which  the  Prince  naturally  took  in 
the  O'Kelly  stud. 

Next  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  it  was,  I  suppose,  Lord 
Belfast,  who  became  Lord  Donegal  on  his  father's  death, 
who  was  most  closely  connected  with  Andrew  O'Kelly's 
racing,  and  it  seems  that  these  two,  with  Mr.  Concannon, 
ran  horses  together  for  some  time,  until  the  partnership 
ended  in  the  reckless  extravagance  and  fatal  encumbrances 
of  the  young  peer,  whom  I  shall  call  Lord  Donegal  in  future, 
to  avoid  confusion.  I  find  his  name  as  running  Curb,  by 
Dungannon,  out  of  Flirtilla,  ninth  in  the  Derby  of  1801, 
which  was  won  by  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  famous  Eleanor ; 
and  he  ran  fifth  in  the  same  race  nine  years  afterwards  with 
Fortitude,  by  John  Btdl,  out  of  Trifle. 

I  reproduce  here  two  letters  from  Lord  Belfast  (as  Lord 
Donegal  then  was)  to  Philip  O'Kelly : 

Oct.  31,  1794. 

To  Philip  O'Kelly. 
Sir, 

You  are  to  deliver  my  mare  Queen  of  Scota  and  her  colt  foal  by  Anvil 
and  my  yearling  filly  by  Fidget  out  of  a  sister  to  Volunteer  and  my 
yearling  colt  by  Dungannon  out  of  sister  to  Escape  to  the  bearer. 

Your  humble  servant, 

Belfast. 
167 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Lord  Belfast  to  Philip  O'Kelly. 

Cannons  near  Edgware, 

Dec.  4,  1794. 
Sir, 

I  received  your  letter  to-day  which  I  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of 
answering,  and  I  should  be  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  call  on 
me  at  three  o'clock  on  Sunday  next  at  44  Weymouth  St.  and  I  will  be 
at  home.     By  so  doing  you  will  much  oblige. 

Your  obedient  humble  servant, 
Hill  House.  Belfast. 

Lord  Donegal's  transactions  were  not  invariably  marked 
by  great  attention  to  business  details,  as  the  following 
details  regarding  his  purchase  of  horses  in  September  1794 
will  show.  They  are  copied  from  various  manuscripts,  the 
first  two  being  from  the  O'Kellys'  memoranda  of  the  sale, 
and  the  others  are  transcribed  from  the  evidence  given  in 
legal  proceedings  which  followed. 

I 

Horses  sold  by  Philip  O'Kelly  to  Lo.  Donegal. 

September  22,  1794. 

Chestnut  colt  by  Volunteer  out  of  Herod  mare  grand  dam  by 
Matchem — Regulus — Old  Sterling — Old  Partner — Crofts  bay  Barb — 
Makeless — Brimmer — Dodsworth — Burton  Barb  mare  (rising  three). 

Bay  Filly  by  Fidget  out  of  Eclipse  mare  Granddam  by  Tartar — 
Mogul — Sweepstakes — Curwen  bay  Barb — Old  Spot — Vintner  mare 
(rising  two). 

Bay  colt  by  Dungannon  out  of  Highflyer  mare — Granddam  by 
Squirrel  out  of  own  sister  to  Sir  James  Lowther's  Babraham.  The 
above  mare  is  own  sister  to  Escape  (rising  two). 

Bay  colt  by  Anvil  out  of  Eclipse  mare — Granddam  by  Herod  out  of 
own  sister  to  the  dam  of  Highflyer  (rising  two). 

Queen  Scota  bay  mare  by  Eclipse  from  a  Herod  mare  out  of  an  own 
sister  to  the  dam  of  Highflyer.     This  mare  was  the  best  in  England. 

Sold   to  Lord  Donegall  for  ;£375o,  the  consideration  for  the  two 

Bonds  of  ;£iioo  and  the  Post-obit  consideration  of  ;^265o. 

168 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

On  the  above  I  need  only  note  that  the  Marquis  of 
Donegal  died  on  June  5,  1799,  being  four  years  and  eight 
months  after  his  son,  Lord  Belfast,  gave  the  Post-obit; 
and  in  consequence  of  this  a  very  curious  legal  point  came 
up  later,  when  Counsel's  opinion  was  asked  on  the  following 
question  : 

In  1794  the  then  Marquis  of  Donegal  Hved  at  Fisherwick  in  England 
in  good  health,  aged  55.  His  son  Lord  Belfast  was  then  25,  of  a  deli- 
cate constitution,  and  imprisoned  in  the  Fleet,  by  the  Day  Rules  being 
permitted  to  go  to  all  public  places  and  all  races  and  for  Hunting, 
within  30  or  40  miles  of  London,  during  an  "  imprisonment  "  of  several 
years.  Now,  under  these  circumstances,  what  would  have  been  the 
Premium  for  insuring  that  Lord  Belfast  would  have  outlived  his 
father  ? 

II 

Mem"   at   foot   of    bill   delivered  to   Lord   Donegal  for 
Horses  (dated  1799) 

Mr.  O' Kelly  desires  it  may  be  remembered  that  the  above  sum  of 
■^3750  the  price  of  the  five  horses  with  their  engagements  was  fixed  by 
the  Marquis  himself  and  Col.  Whaley  who  frequently  accompanied  his 
Lordship  to  Cannons  and  assisted  his  Lordship  in  selecting  those 
horses  out  of  the  whole  stud  and  that  upwards  of  six  weeks  had  elapsed 
before  it  was  completed  at  a  price  which  Mr.  O' Kelly  at  that  time  con- 
sidered to  be  very  reasonable. 

The  William  Whaley  mentioned  above  was  one  of  Lord 
Donegal's  creditors  for  a  large  sum.  His  bay  colt  GiUli'ver 
ran  fourth  in  the  Derby  of  1802  ;  but  a  rather  unpleasant 
impression  of  him  is  created  by  a  manuscript  put  in  evidence 
at  the  trial,  and  signed  by  Mr.  F.  C.  Philips  on  board  his 
frigate  "  Champion  "  at  Spithead,  just  before  she  sailed  on 
March  10,  1800.     It  runs  as  follows  : 

William  Whaley  in  the  spring  of  1793  proposed  to  Francis  Charles 
Philips,  late  of  Brookley  House  in  Southampton,  to  lend  Lord  Belfast 
;^3ooo  on  an  annuity  of  ;^400  ;  but  he  added  that  as  his  Lordship  would 
play,  it  would  be  necessary  to  get  him  into  play-parties  where  he 
(Whaley)  could  make  sure  of  winning  large  sums  from  him  ;  and  in 
consequence  all  negotiations  were  broken  off. 

169 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

III 

On  September  22,  1794,  an  agreement  was  signed  by- 
Lord  Belfast  (with  his  seal,  a  fine  Greek  gem  of  Hermes 
holding  a  lyre ;  winged  feet,  a  cloak  and  hat  slung  behind 
his  back)  and  witnessed  by  John  Watridge  and  William 
Whaley  that  Philip  O'Kelly  of  Cannons  should  sell  a 
chestnut  colt  now  rising  three,  by  Volunteer  out  of  an  own 
sister  to  Calash,  for  ^630,  "provided  that  the  said  colt 
shall  happen  to  win  the  Derby  Stakes  in  the  year  1795,  also 
the  sum  of  ;^2 10  in  case  the  colt  shall  happen  to  win  the 
first  class  of  the  Prince's  Stakes  in  1795  " ;  also  a  bay  colt 
rising  two  by  Dtmgannon  out  of  an  own  sister  to  Escape 
for  ;4i^o>  "  in  case  this  colt  should  so  happen  to  win  the 
sweepstakes  in  which  he  is  engaged  at  Newmarket  on  the 
Monday  of  the  Craven  Meeting  in  1796,  seven  subscribers 
of  100  guineas  each."  The  agreement  to  be  null  and  void 
if  none  of  these  engagements  be  won,  but  any  part  to  be 
paid,  with  contingencies,  as  won.  Also  Philip  O'Kelly 
agreed  (and  signed  separately)  to  let  Lord  Belfast  go  half 
of  a  bet  of  600  guineas  to  20  with  Captain  Taylor  that  the 
said  chestnut  colt,  brother  to  Xanthus,  does  not  win  the 
Derby  Stakes  in  1795.  This  latter  agreement  was  witnessed 
by  William  Whaley  on  September  25,  1795. 

IV 

An  agreement  was  signed  on  September  22,  1794,  by 
which  Philip  O'Kelly, 

for  ;^2650  paid  by  the  Hon.  George  Augustus  Chichester  of  Merewell 
in  the  County  of  Warwick  commonly  called  Earl  of  Belfast,  sold  him 
Queen  Scota  by  Eclipse  out  of  a  Herod  mare,  with  a  colt  at  her  foot  by 
Anvil,  and  supposed  to  be  in  foal  again  by  Eclipse  ;  and  also  a  bay 
colt  rising  two  engaged  in  a  sweepstakes  at  Newmarket  of  seven  sub- 
scribers one  hundred  guineas  each,  by  Dungannon  out  of  an  own  sister 
to  Escape  ;  and  also  a  iilly  rising  two  got  by  Fidget  out  of  a  sister  to 
Volunteer." 

These  were  delivered  to  Lord  Belfast,  who  was  further 
allowed    to    have    three    mares    covered   by   Dungannon, 

170 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Volunteer  and  Anvil  without  charge.  The  witnesses  were 
William  Whaley  and  H.  Harpur.  This  agreement  was  the 
consideration  of  a  Post-obit. 

The  foal  Queen  Scota  produced  was  called  Scotilla,  and  bought  with 
the  dam  by  the  Earl  of  Stamford  (at  three-years-old)  when  Lord 
Belfast's  stud  was  sold  on  a  warrant  of  execution.  She  won  against 
many  capital  horses  and  might  therefore  "  if  she  had  been  in  the  hands 
of  any  of  the  Newmarket  gentlemen  "  have  been  worth  all  the  money 
Lord  Donegal  promised  for  his  whole  purchase. 


From  the  memorandum  of  evidence  given  in  the  case  of 
the  horses  bought  from  O'Kelly  by  Lord  Donegal  it  appears 
that  Mr.  F.  C.  Phillips  was  called  to  give  expert  evidence. 

He  knew  Lo.  Donegal  before  Sepf  1794  when  he  was  Lord  Belfast 
and  kept  thoroughbreds  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Turf  generally. 
He  said  the  prices  given  for  thoroughbred  stock  would  "depend  on  the 
fancy  and  desire  of  the  purchaser,  but  the  high  estimation  that  Dun- 
gannon  and  Volunteer  colts  and  fillies  were  held  in,  from  the  public 
running  of  several  of  them,  makes  me  think  the  price  agreed  to  be  a  just 
one."  He  knew  Col.  Whaley  to  be  a  man  of  good  judgment  in  matters 
connected  with  the  Turf  and  thoroughbreds.  He  considered  the 
O'Kelly  stud  "  to  be  the  best  in  England  and  to  be  held  by  all  persons 
concerned  in  keeping  of  Running  Horses  as  the  best  of  Blood";  and 
had  heard  of  O'Kelly  "selling  the  produce  of  his  different  brood  mares 
for  large  sums  of  money."  He  considered  that  the  fact  of  thorough- 
breds being  sold  with  their  engagements  for  future  races  made  them  of 
greater  value  than  otherwise,  as  in  the  case  of  Lo.  Donegall's  purchase. 
He  had  heard  "that  Mr  Tattersall  gave  2,500  gs.  for  Escdipe,"  and  "it 
appears  from  the  racing  Callender  that  one  colt  purchased  by  the 
Marquis  was  out  of  an  own  sister  to  Escape.^' 

VI 
From  the  memorandum  of  evidence  given  by  Hyde  in 
the   litigation  arising  out  of  the  sale  of   horses  to  Lord 
Donegal  it  appears  that 

"  Mr.  O'Kelly's  stud  at  that  time  consisted  of  71  Brood  Mares,  colts, 
and  fillies."     The  Marquis  of  Donegal  apparently  bought  a  mare  in 

171 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

foal,  and  her  filly  was  the  best  of  1798,  bought  by  Lord  Stamford 
"  when  Lord  Donegal's  things  were  sold  under  an  execution."  .  .  . 
.  .  .  ."  Mr  O' Kelly's  stud  at  that  time  in  my  opinion  was  the  first 
stud  in  this  country."  ..."  I  also  know  that  Mr.  Ladbrook  sold 
Magpie  for  2400  gs  :  Chanticleer  was  sold  for  3000  gs.  both  out  of  Eclipse 
mares.  The  late  Duke  of  Bedford  gave  2700  gs  for  Grey  Diomed  and 
500  gs  for  a  Foal  brother  to  him." 

I  am  fortunately  able  to  give  a  more  detailed  account  of 
Andrew  O'Kelly's  stud  in  1795,  which  will  thoroughly 
justify  the  expert  opinions  quoted  above.  It  is  reproduced 
from  a  document  on  which  Lord  Donegal's  opinion  of 
some  of  the  lots  is  noted  in  his  own  handwriting  on  the 
margin ;  and  these  I  have  left  just  as  they  are  in  the 
original. 

BROOD  MARES,  COLTS  AND  FILLIES,  THE  PROPERTY  OF  A 

GENTLEMAN,   AT    CANNONS,    NEAR    EDGWARE, 

MIDDLESEX. 

November  ist,  1795. 

MARES  COVERED  BY  DUNGANNON,  1795. 
Lot 

1  Annette,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  and  is  own  sister  to  Saltram. 

2  Miss  Euston,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Snap,  her  dam  by  Blank,  grand 

dam  by  Old  Cartouch — Soreheels,  which  was  the  great  grand  dam 
of  Highflyer. 

3  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Squirrel,  her  dam  (Dove)  by  Matchless,  grand 

dam  by  the  Ancaster  Starling — Grasshopper — Sir  M.  Newton's 
Bay  Arabian — Pert.  This  mare  is  own  sister  to  Ld  Clermont's 
Brunette,  the  dam  of  Trumpator,  &c. 

4  Flirtilla,   a  chesnut   mare,  got  by  Conductor,  her  dam  (Flirt)   by 

Squirrel,  grand  dam  (Helen)  by  Blank — Crab,  out  of  an  own  sister 
to  Old  Partner. — This  mare  was  a  capital  runner. 

5  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Conductor,  and  is  own  sister  to  Flirtilla. 

6  A  Brown  Mare  (own  sister  to  Mark-ho  !)  got  by  Mark  Anthony,  dam 

(Noisette)  by  Squirrel,  grand  dam  (Carina)  by  Marske,  out  of 
Thunder's  dam,  by  Blank. 

7  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Mark  Anthony,  her  dam  by  Conductor,  grand 

dam  by  Squirrel — Marske — Blank. 

172 


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ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Lot 

8  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Highflyer,  dam  (Brim)  by  Squirrel,  grand  dam 

by  Blank — Crab,  out  of  a  sister  to  Old  Partner. — This  mare  is  own 
sister  to  Noble. 

9  Blackthorn,  a  black  mare,  got  by  Turf,  her  dam  (Lady  Jane)   by 

Snap,  grand  dam  (sister  to  Mr  Swinburn's  Nabob)  by  Cade — 
Crab — Childers — Confederate  Filly,  by  Grantham — Rutland  Black 
Barb — Bright's  Roan. 

BY  VOLUNTEER. 

10  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  by  Blank,  out  of  the  Withering- 

ton  mare. — This  mare  is  an  own  sister  to  the  dam  of  Rosina,  and 
was  never  trained. 

11  A  Light  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  by  Blank,  out  of  an  Old 

Cade  mare. 

12  Gossamer,  a  chesnut  mare,  got  by  Herod.     This  mare  is  the  dam  of 

Mr  Wilson's  two  year  old  filly,  that  won  the  Plate  on  Friday  in 
the  Houghton  Meeting,  1793,  beating  9  others. 

13  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Evergreen,  out  of  a  sister  to  Calash. 

14  Spider,  a  chesnut  mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  (Chrysis)  by  Careless, 

grand  dam  (Snappina)  by  Snap — Moore's  Son  of  Partner — Childers 
(dam  of  Little  Driver)  Miss  Belvoir,  by  Grantham. — This  mare  was 
a  good  runner. 

15  A  Chesnut  Mare,  got  by  Whipcord,  own  brother  to  Woodpecker,  her 

dam  by  Blank,  grand  dam  by  Old  Crab,  great  grand  dam  by 
Childers,  out  of  an  own  sister  to  Old  Partner. 

16  Hip,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  (own  sister   to  Mirza) 

by  the  Godolphin  Arabian — Hobgoblin — Whitefoot — Leedes — 
Moonah  Barb  mare. 

17  A  Brown  Mare,  got  by  Imperator,  out  of  Smack's  dam,  which  was 

got  by  Herod,  out  of  a  sister  to  Pacolet. 

18  A  Bay  Cropt  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  (Laura,  the  dam  of  Pitch, 

&c)  by  Whistle-jacket,  grand  dam  (Pretty  Polly,  the  dam  of  Corio- 
lanus)  by  Old  Starling — Godolphin  Arabian  (a  sister  to  Amelia) — 
Childers — True  Blue — Cyprus — Bonny  Black  mare. 

19  A  Chesnut  Mare,  got  by  Pontifex,  dam  by  Blank,  grand  dam  by 

Regulus. 

20  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  the  dam  of  Fox  and  Gustavus. 

173 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Lot 

21  Miss  Spindleshanks,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Omar,  her  dam  by  Starling, 

grand  dam  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian — Stanyan's  Arabian — 
Pelham's  Barb — Spot — White-legged  Lowther  Barb — Old  Vintner 
mare.     She  is  the  dam  of  Soldier,  Gunpowder,  &c. 

22  Tetotum,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Matchem. 

23  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Turf,  out  of  Lot  8. 

24  Miss  Kitty,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Highflyer,  her  dam  by  Squirrel,  grand 

dam  (a  sister  to  Sir  j,  Lowther's  Babraham)  by  Babraham — 
Golden  Ball — Son  of  Partner,  &c.  This  mare  is  an  own  sister  to 
H.R.H.  the  P.  of  Wales's  Escape. 

25  Miss  Windmill,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Highflyer,  her  dam  (sister  to 

Greyling)  by  the  Sedley  Arabian,  grand  dam  by  Regulus. 

BY  ANVIL. 

26  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  and  is  own  sister  to  Queen  Scota. 

27  A  Bare  Mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  out  of  Lot  21.     (Miss  Spindleshanks). 

This  mare  is  own  sister  to  Soldier,  &c. 

28  Madcap,  a  bay  mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  her  dam  by  Blank,  grand  dam 

by  Blaze — Greyhound — Curwen  Bay  Barb. 

29  A  Chesnut  Mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  her  dam  by  Blank,  grand  dam  by 

Old  Snip — Godolphin  Arabian — Frampton's  Whiteneck,  &c.  This 
mare  is  own  sister  to  Aurelius. 

30  Augusta,  a  chesnut   mare,   got    by   Eclipse,   her  dam  (the  dam  of 

Hardwicke)  by  Herod,  grand  dam  by  Bajazet — Regulus — Lons- 
dale Arabian — Bay  Bolton — Barley's  Arabian. 
N.B.     This  mare  is  the  dam  of  Eliza. 

31  Lilly  of  the  Valley,  a  chesnut  mare,  got  by  Eclipse,  and  is  own 

sister  to  Volunteer. 

32  A  Chesnut  Mare,  got  by  Dungannon,  out  of  Lot  2. 

33  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  24. 

34  A  Brown  Mare,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  4. 

35  A  Chesnut  Mare,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  23. 

BY  GUNPOWDER. 

36  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Matchem,  the  dam  of  Thunderbolt,  and  sister 

to  the  dam  of  Calash. 

37  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  dam  by  Matchem,  grand  dam  by  Regulus, 

out  of  an  own  sister  to  the  Ancaster  Starling. — This  mare  is  own 
sister  to  H.R.H.  the  P.  of  Wales's  Calash. 

174 


SilLBIER  (BY  ECLIl'SE) 

/■'ii'ui  the  vniji-iiriiifi  in  the  pofisfusiou  of  Mr.  Stmu-rrillf    T(tttt.rmll 


THUXDEKBOLT  (BY  ECLIPSE) 

From  an  engrariiKj  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  ScnncniUe  TattcrsaU 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Lot 

38  A  Brown  Mare,  got  by  Herod,  her  dam  (Marotte)  by  Matchem,  grand 

dam  by  Traveller,  great  grand  dam  by  Hartley's  Blind  Horse, 
which  mare  was  the  dam  of  Mr  Routh's  Stadtholder,  Looby,  and 
Frolick.  This  mare  is  an  own  sister  to  Ld  Derby's  Dancer,  and 
Mr  Hamilton's  Bagot. 

39  A  Bay  Mare,  got  by  II  Mio,  out  of  a  sister  to  Dancer.     Lot  38. 

FOALS. 

40  A  Bay  Colt,  got  by  Dungannon,  out  of  Lot  7. 

41  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  6. 

42  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  8. 

43  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  3. 

44  A  Chesnut  Colt,  by  Volunteer,  out  of  Lot  16. 

45  A  Chesnut  Colt,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  15. 

46  A  Chesnut  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  12. 

47  A  Chesnut  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  18. 
Han' filly  ^ 

but  not       U8  A  Bay  Filly,  by  Anvil,  out  of  Lot  28. 
large.         I 

Fine  filly     49  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  31. 

Han' filly    50  A  Bay  Filly,  by  Volunteer,  out  of  Lot  25. 

51  A  Chesnut  Colt,  by  Gunpowder,  out  of  Lot  37. 

Fine  52  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  24. 

53  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  38.  Remar'fine 

All  or  any  of  the  above  Mares,  Colts  and  Fillies,  to  be  sold,  and 
to  be  seen  at  Cannons,  near  Edgware,  Middlesex. 

ONE  YEAR  OLD. 

Lot 

54  A  Brown  Colt,  got  by  Anvil,  out  of  Calypso.  Very  fine. 

55  A  Bay  Colt,  got  by  Dungannon,  out  of  Lot  5.  Very  fine. 

56  A  Chesnut  Colt,  got  by  Volunteer,  out  of  Lot  15.  Vfine 

57  A  Chesnut  Colt,  got  by  Vertumnus,  out  of  Lot  23.  Med. 

58  A  Brown  Filly,  got  by  Dungannon,  out  of  Lot  24.  V  fine. 

59  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  3.  Fine. 

60  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  8. 

61  A  Dark  Bay  Filly,  got  by  Volunteer,  out  of  Lot  38.  Very  fine. 

175 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Lot 

62  A  Bay  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  2.  Med. 

63  A  Chesnut  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  18.  Fine  filly. 

64  A  Chesnut  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Sybil. 

65  A  Chesnut  Filly,  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  14.  Fine. 

66  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  Anvil,  out  of  Lot  28. 

67  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  ditto,  out  of  Lot  30. 

68  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  Vertumnus,  out  of  Lot  20. 

TWO  YEARS  OLD. 

69  A  Chesnut  Colt,  got  by  Volunteer,  his  dam  by  Herod,  grand  dam 

(Prophetess)  by  Prophet,  great  grand  dam  by  Cade,  out  of  a  sister 
to  Lodge's  Roan  Mare. 

70  A  Bay  Colt,  got  by  Anvil,  dam  by  Eclipse,  grand  dam  by  Herod, 

great  grand  dam  by  Snap,  great  great  grand  dam  by  Regulus — • 
Very  fine  Old  Partner,  Woodcock — Croft's  Bay  Barb — Makeless — Brimmer 
— Dodsworth,  out  of  the  Burton  Barb  Mare.  The  above  two 
colts  are  large,  bony,  and  handsome,  unbroke,  and  fit  for  any 
Stakes  to  come. 

71  A  Chesnut  Filly,  got  by  Volunteer,  out  of  Lot  10.  Very  fine. 

72  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  Anvil,  out  of  Lot  26. 

73  A  Bay  Filly,  got  by  Volunteer,  her  dam  by  Herod,  grand  dam  by 

Snap,  great  grand  dam  by  Regulus,  great  great  grand  dam  by  Old 
Partner — Woodcock — Croft's  Bay  Barb — Makeless — Brimmer — 
Dodsworth,  out  of  the  Burton  Barb  Mare.  The  above  three  fillies 
are  large,  bony,  and  handsome — unbroke. 

74  Young  Dungannon,   by  Dungannon,    out    of    Gunpowder's    dam ; 

engaged  in  a  Sweepstakes  of  100  gs.  each,  Craven  Meeting,  1796  ; 
in  the  Derby  Stakes,  and  in  a  Match  with  Mr.  Durand's  Alexander 
filly,  at  Epsom,  for  200  gs.  each. 

STALLIONS  TO  COVER  IN  1796. 

The  five  following  (the  property  of  the  same  Gentleman)  at 
CANNONS,  between  Stanmore  and  Edgware,  in  the  County  of 
Middlesex,  eight  miles  from  London,  and  ten  from  St.  Albans. 

DUNGANNON,  at  15  gs.  a  mare,  and  one  guinea  the  groom. 

If  any  of  the  mares  covered  by  Dungannon  last  season  should  not 
prove  with  foal,  they  will  be  covered  this  season  for  10  gs. 

176 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

VOLUNTEER,  own  brother  to  Mercury,  Venus,  and  Jupiter  at  lo  gs.  a 
mare,  and  ids.  i>d.  the  groom. 
He  is  the  sire  of   Portia  and  Caeha,  who  both  won  the  Oaks ;  of 
Spread  Eagle,  who  won    the  Derby  in   1795  ;    Nerissa,  Stiding,  and 
several  other  winners. 

ANVIL,  at  10  gs.  a  mare,  and  los.  (yd.  the  groom. 

He  was  got  by  Herod,  dam  by  Feather,  grand  dam  by  Lath,  great 
grand  dam  by  Childers  (she  was  own  sister  to  Snip,  Blacklegs,  &c.) 
VERTUMNUS.at  5  gs.  a  mare,  and  5s. 
YOUNG  DOGE,  the  TEAZER,  at  one  guinea,  and  2s.  bd. 

He  was  got  by  Doge,  his  dam  by  Lot,  his  grand  dam,   Black  Eyes, 
by  Crab,  out  of  the  Warlock  Galloway. 

He  is  a  horse  of  great  bone  and  size,  and  likely  to  get  hunters. 
The  money  to  be  paid  before  the  mares    are  taken  away.      Good 
grass,  &c.  and  proper  care. 

There  are  a  number  of  good  paddocks,  and  yards  with  large  sheds  in 
them,  for  the  mares,  in  bad  weather. 

At  Clintz,  near  Richmond,  in  Yorkshire. 
GUNPOWDER,  own  brother  to  Soldier,  at  5  gs.  a  mare,  and  5s.  to  the 
groom. 

London  :  Printed  by  H.  Reynell,  No.  21,  Piccadilly,  near  the  Hay-Market. 

Lord  Belfast  Mark<^  this  List  [as  in  italics  on  the  margin  above] . 

This  is  a  long  and  valuable  list  for  any  racing  stable,  and 
I  may  add  here  the  small  detail  that  Philip  O' Kelly  got  a 
good  deal  of  hay  from  Cannons,  and  bought  his  oats  from 
Messrs.  Browne,  Bovill,  Cole  &  Co.,  of  Milford  Lane,  who 
add  to  their  bill  for  twelve  quarters  ordered  in  October  1800, 
the  words  "  please  pay  the  shooting  one  shilling."  Another 
interesting  paper  among  the  O'Kelly  memoranda  of  1795 
is  a  note  sent  by  James  Weatherby  to  Sir  Frank  Standish, 
as  follows : — 

P''  Lord  Egremont  25  gs.  :  for  Oaks  1795,  Dungannon  out  of  Miss 

Kitty. 
P**  Sir  Frank  Standish  25  gs.  :  for  brother  to  Xanthus  same  year. 
D°  D°  50  gs. :  for  Viret  same  year. 

This  is  no  doubt  the  same  Sir  F.  Standish,  for  the  poisoning 
of  whose  Eagle  colt,  by  placing  arsenic  in  a  trough  at  New- 

177  M 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

market,  Daniel  Dawson  was  tried  before  Mr.  Justice  Heath 
at  Carribridge  Assizes  in  1812.  The  law  could  not  then 
recognise  him  as  a  principal  ;  but  bail  was  refused,  and  at 
the  second  trial  he  was  found  guilty  and  sentenced  to  death. 

It  was  also  in  1795  that  Andrew  O'Kelly's  bay  colt  by 
Volunteer,  dam  hy  Evergreen, r^n  unplaced  in  the  Derby;  and 
it  is  curious  to  notice  that  Mr.  Hallett,  from  whom  his  uncle 
had  bought  Cannons,  also  ran  a  chestnut  colt  by  Volunteer, 
dam  by  Herod,  which  was  unplaced  in  the  same  race. 

I  have  often  wondered  whether  this  was  the  Mr. 
Hallett  who  appears  with  his  bride  in  the  Mall  in  Gains- 
borough's loveliest  picture.  But  this  must  remain  only  a 
pleasant  possibility. 

Mr.  Concannon  was,  as  I  have  said,  one  of  Andrew's 
racing  partners.  He  became  M.P.  for  Winchilsea  in  1820, 
and  I  find  he  ran  sixth  for  the  Oaks  with  Zeniire  in 
1796.  The  same  chestnut  three-year-old  (by  Fidget)  ran 
again  that  year  at  Doncaster,  and  was  fifth  for  the  Cup 
to  Hambletonian,  Sober,  Robin,  Ambrosio  (who  won  the 
Leger),  and  Prince  Charles.  She  also  lost  a  two-mile 
handicap  at  the  same  meeting  to  Moorcock,  Hoby,  and 
Governor,  and  lost  a  match  at  6st.  ilb.  to  Sir  H.  V.  Tem- 
pest's Governor  (by  Ruler)  7st.  7lbs.,  4  years.  In  1800  Mr. 
Concannon's  Richmond,  by  Walmtt,  ran  fourth  for  the 
Doncaster  Cup,  four  miles,  100  guineas,  three  years,  6st., 
being  beaten  by  Dio7i,  Haphazard,  and  Fanny,  though  he 
started  favourite  at  5  to  4. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  letters  printed  below  that  Mr. 
Concannon  did  not  always  approve  of  Lord  Donegal's 
somewhat  inaccurate  methods,  which  must  often  have  tried 
the  patience  even  of  the  easy-going  Andrew  O'Kelly. 

I 

Sep.  I,  1799 

To  Col.  O'Kelly,  Half  Moon  Street,  London. 

Brighton,  Tuesday. 
My  dear  O'K. 

I  fear  that  horse  of  ours  is  but  a  bad  one.     Depend  upon  it  there 
is  something  worse   than    inattention    in  his    composition.      In  the 

178 


ANDREW  O'KEL^LY 

meantime  I  am  distressed  to  a  degree  and  the  will  not  give  me 

even  a  line  or  an  acknowledgment.  I  wished  you  to  give  him  my 
letter  sealed  that  he  might  not  deny  the  receipt  of  it.  However  it 
shall  be  as  you  say.  I  will  wait  a  few  days.  Till  then  I  beg  you  will 
write  to  him  enclosing  this  of  Henwood  and  just  say  that  I  have 
written  to  you  for  his  address  and  that  I  conceive  myself  illused.  If 
he  then  does  not  act  properly  my  letter  shall  go.  The  whole  merit  of 
the  filly  arrangement  is  your  own  I  fear  ;  and  yet  the  old  gentleman  I 
have  no  doubt  is  a  liberal  fellow  too.  I  shall  write  to  Prince  to  send 
a  careful  person  or  come  himself.  It  is  a  fine  moment  on  account  of 
Cupar  [  ?  ]  who  will  match  all  his  young  ones.  If  yours  turn  out  well 
we  shall  get  a  good  deal  of  money.  At  all  events  you  must  be  con- 
cerned in  everything  that  has  the  appearance  of  being  profitable,  and 
as  I  shall  consult  you  in  everything,  if  we  have  the  least  industry  and 
discretion  these  very  fillies  may  do  wonders  for  us.  I  am  going  on 
to  L"*  Gage's  [?]  to  eat  a  Turtle  &  return  to-morrow  with  M"^  Concannon 
who  has  been  to  Glynde  almost  all  the  summer.  I  wish  I  could  tell 
you  by  letter  a  scene  at  the  ball  last  night — ^happened  to  me.     No  ! 

There  is  nothing  like  it  in  all  the  history  of  man  woman  and .    But 

it  will  keep  &  I  promise  you  a  laugh.     Adieu  :  Ever  yours 

L.  Concannon. 

P.S. — I  wrote  to  Prince  to  ask  him  whether  I  shall  take  the  two-year- 
old  or  one  of  each.  I  rather  think  the  two-year-old  will  suit  us 
better,  and  if  either  turns  out  well  we  can  next  year  snap  up 
another  from  the  Chateau  de  Cannons.  Prince  will  either  come 
or  send  an  order. 

The  receipt  from  Henwood  runs  as  follows : 

"  Received  of  Mr.  Concannon  fifty  guineas  being  the  stakes  for  the 
Filly  sister  to  Telegraph  in  a  Sweepstakes  at  Brighthelmston  won  by 
Mr.  Welch's  Cobweb  filly. 

"  W.  Henwood  Clk.  of  Brighton  Races  " 


"  Sept  !«'  1799." 
Sept.  I,  1799. 


II 

L.  Concannon  to  Lord  Donegal. 


My  Lord 

I  permit  no  man  to  trifle  with  me  or  treat  me  with  indignity.     You 
have  neither  answered  my  letter  or  paid  your  stake  of  50  guineas  to 

179 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

the  gentleman  who  won  it  &  who  has  this  day  made  a  demand  upon 
me  for  the  stake  which  you  ought  to  have  paid  long  ago.  I  am  now 
to  inform  you  that  I  expect  you  will  immediately  send  me  the  60 
guineas  you  owe,  50  of  which  you  have  received  from  Mr.  Heathcote, 
&  that  you  will  also  add  the  50  guineas  for  your  stake  which  I  paid 
this  morning.  If  not,  I  shall  immediately  communicate  your  conduct 
to  the  members  of  the  Jockey  Club  now  here,  and  you  must  know  the 
rules  as  well  as  I  do,  that  no  man  can  start  a  horse  while  his  stakes  are 
unpaid.  I  am  &c. 

Your  Lordship's  servant 

L.  CONCANNON. 

Ill 

Sept.  I,  1799. 

[The  covering  letter  to  Col.  A.  D.  O'Kelly  with  that  for  Ld.  Donegal 
runs  as  follows  : — ] 

Dear  O'K. 

Lord  Donegal's  conduct  is  most  atrocious.  Mr  Walsh  came  to  me 
this  morning  &  I  was  obliged  to  pay  him  50  gs.  at  a  time  when  I  am 
in  the  most  serious  and  calamitous  distress.  I  cannot  endure  this  sort 
of  insolence  any  longer,  &  therefore  beg  of  you,  in  spite  of  any 
dehcacy  you  may  feel  for  the  family,  to  deliver  the  enclosed  letter  for 
me.  Only  conceive  his  not  answering  a  gentleman's  letter  !  Is  this 
trifling  to  be  borne  ?  And  what  am  I  to  think  of  you  never  writing  to 
me  ?  There  were  sweepstakes  &  matches  here  without  number  to  be 
made.     Men  are  mad  I  believe.     Write  immediately  Donegal's  answer. 

Yours  ever 

L.  CONCANNON. 

The  majority  of  Lord  Donegal's  voluminous  accounts, 
together  with  some  of  the  O'Kelly  correspondence  relating 
to  him,  I  have  been  obliged  to  place  by  themselves  in  the 
Appendix.  But  a  few  papers  in  which  his  name  occurs  will 
occur  appropriately  when  I  come  to  deal  with  the  social  side 
of  Andrew  O'Kelly's  career  in  the  next  part  of  this  chapter, 
and  I  can  conclude  here  a  few  more  details  about  their 
racing  partnership  contained  in  five  different  documents,  as 

follows : — 

180 


^H^^v 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

I 

STABLE  ACCOUNTS 

Sent  by  O' Kelly  to  Ld,  Donegall 
1799 

I  mare  covered  by  Volunteer         .        .     ;^i2  12     o 
Her  Keep  from  May  23  to  Nov.  7  ,        .       ^^8     8     o 
Keep  of  thoroughbred  Stock  from 
September  1800  to  September 
1801 ;^2i3  17    o 

II 

The  Most  Noble  the  Marquis  of  Donegall. 
D'  to  Philip  O' Kelly  Esq' 
1799  £   s.     d. 

To  I  Mare  covered  by  Volunteer   .        .        12  12     o 
To  her  Keep  from  the  23''  of  May  to 
the  7*  of  Nov"'  24  weeks 


I  8     8 


£2\.      o     o 

III 

Letter  from 

A.  D.  O'Kelly  to  Lord  Donegall 
4  July,  1800. 

What  orders  have  you  given  respecting  Winchester  ?  The  Prince 
certainly  runs  Knowsley  for  the  King's  Plate,  and  I  think  it  will  be  only 
distressing  Trifle  and  throwing  away  his  chance  for  the  Cup  to  run  him 
against  Knowsley.  George  Parkhurst  wishes  to  run  a  trial  with  his 
Bibury  horse  that  won  the  Welter  against  something  of  ours.  He 
thinks  him  capital  &  would  fix  a  price  upon  him  before'  the  trial  at 
which  we  may  have  him  if  we  wish. 

I  may  note  that  the  horse,  Knowsley,  mentioned  above, 
was  the  animal  on  which  Sam  Chifney  rode  first  past  the 
post  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  at  Guildford,  with  a  slack  rein, 
showing  that  he  could  do  more  with  a  plain  snaffle  than 
other  men  could  manage  with  a  Mexican  curb.  His  exqui- 
site "  hands"  have  probably  never  been  surpassed,  and  only 
equalled,  perhaps,  by  George  Fordham. 

181 


;^26o 

17 

;^299 

8  (Derby 

1802) 

;£2o8 

7 

£128 

H 

£7(> 

4 

;£235 

8 

ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

IV 

Wycombe,  August  5'**  1800. 

Memorandum  of  Horses,  Mares,  &c.  sold  to  A.  D.  O'Kelly  Esq. 

Brother  to  Vivaldi       .... 
Precipitate  colt  out  of  Equity     . 
Precipitate  colt  out  of  Recruit's  dam 
Precipitate  filly  bought  of  Bird  . 
Filly  by  Bacchus  out  of  a  Seagull  mare 
Betsey  with  a  colt  foal  at  foot    . 

By  Sir  Peter  (Derby  1803) 
Recruits  dam  with  a  colt  foal      .         .     ;^236  12   ' 
at  foot  by  Precipitate  (Pavilion  Stakes 

1804) 
A  Sir  Peter  mare,  covered  by  Pegasus     £113  13     o 
Vivaldi's  dam  covered  by  Sir  Peter    .    ;^io5 

Fugleman         ....    ;£^400 

V 
TRIFLE,  WRANGLER,  AND  OTHER  RACE  HORSES. 
Bill  of  Sale    TO  BE  SOLD  BY  AUCTION,  by  MR  ALDRIDGE,  at  Mr 
the  5th  day        Moorhouse's  Livery  Stables,  in  Piccadilly,  on  Tuesday,  the 
— fromthe°°      3°*^  °^  December,   1800,  precisely  at  One  o'Clock,  the  fol- 
Sheriff  lowing  Well-bred  HORSES  IN  TRAINING,  the  Property  of 

O'Mahoneyto     the  Marquis  of  Donegal,  in  Six  Lots. 

Col.  O'KeUy. 

LOT   1. 

GREY  PILOT,  a  Grey  Horse,  by  Pilot,  Six  Years  Old. 

LOT   II. 

WRANGLER,  a  Bay  Horse,  Six  Years  Old,  by  Diomed,  out  of  Flea- 
catcher.  Engaged  with  Jack  Andrews  in  the  Craven  Meeting,  1801. 
the  last  Mile  of  the  B.  C.  for  100  Guineas,  h.  f. 

LOT   III. 

TRIFLE,  a  Bay  Horse,  Five  Years  Old,  by  Pot8o's,  out  of  Trifle. 
Engaged  with  Schedona  the  Second  Spring  Meeting  1801,  the 
two  Middle  Miles,  B.  C.  for  300  Guineas,  h.  f. 

LOT   IV. 

FORTITUDE,  a  Brown  Colt,  Three  Years  Old,  by  John  Bull,  out  of 
Trifle.  Engaged  with  Dick  Andrews,  Craven  Meeting  1801,  D.  I. 
for  100  Guineas,  h.  f. 

182 


SAM  C'lIIFXEV 

Fnnn  an  r/if/riiriiif/  nfter  a  nmtiinpin'ni-ii  I'il-piiinfiiii/ 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

LOT  V. 

A  CHESNUT  COLT,  Two  Years    Old,  by   Precipitate,    bought    of 
Thomas    Bird.     Engaged  in  the  Derby  Stakes  at  Epsom,  1801. 

LOT   VI. 
A  BAY  COLT,   Two    Years   Old,    by    Dungannon,   out   of    Flirtilla. 
Engaged  in  the  Derby  Stakes  at  Epsom  1801. 

N.B. — The  above  Horses  are  to  be  sold  without  Reference  to  their 
Engagements,  the  Parties  directing  the  present  Sale  having  no  Power 
over  them.  The  Public  are  therefore  requested  to  observe,  that  a 
Purchaser  will  not  be  compelled  to  compleat  such  Engagements,  and 
that  the  Parties  selling  will  not  in  any  Manner  warrant  the  Completion 
thereof. 

The  Horses  may  be  viewed  two  Days  preceding  the  Sale,  and  Cata- 
logues may  be  had  at  the  Place  of  Sale  ;  of  Mr  Stevens,  Solicitor, 
No.  19,  Featherstone  Buildings,  Holborn  ;  and  of  Mr  Aldridge,  in  St. 
Martin's-Lane. 

In  the  year  1801  I  find  letters  from  Samuel  Chifney  to 
Andrew  O'Kelly,  who  then  lived  at  46,  Half-Moon  Street, 
which  is  on  the  western  side  at  the  corner  of  Piccadilly. 
The  whole  question  of  Chifney's  annuity  is  too  long  to 
describe  in  this  place ;  but  I  have  reprinted  in  the  Appendix 
the  full  text  of  the  affidavits  prepared  for  the  litigation  on 
the  subject,  from  which  it  appears  that  the  Prince  of  Wales 
had  permitted  Sam  to  relieve  himself  of  certain  pressing 
obligations  by  selling  the  annuity  of  200  guineas  granted 
him  during  the  Prince's  life.  It  was  sold  to  Joseph  Sparkes, 
of  Brompton,  for  1200  guineas  cash.  Lord  Donegal  was 
first  asked  to  become  a  surety  for  the  payment  of  the  annuity 
to  the  aforesaid  Joseph  Sparkes,  but  requested  Andrew 
O'Kelly  to  do  so,  which  he  did.  Andrew's  affidavit  is  given 
in  the  Appendix,  together  with  Chifney's  own  statement, 
which  refers  to  the  famous  incident  about  Escape. 

The  affidavit  of  "George  Augustus  Chichester  Marquis 
of  Donegal  "  shows  that  he  took  Sam  Chifney  at  the  end  of 
1800  as  "  riding  groom  "  by  the  Prince's  permission.  Soon 
after,  H.R.H.  expressed  a  wish  that  Chifney  could  sell  his 
annuity,  and  when  Lord  Donegal  learnt  that  his  peerage 
prevented   him   from  giving   security,    he    asked   Andrew 

183 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

O'Kelly  to  stand  guarantee  instead,  pointing  out  that  there 
could  be  no  risk  as  H.R.H.  concurred  in  the  transaction,  and 
that  if  the  annuity  were  not  paid,  he,  Lord  Donegal,  would 
withhold  the  salary  he  paid  to  Chifney.  Thereupon  Andrew 
consented,  "  being  desirous  to  further  the  wishes  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales  to  have  Samuel  Chifney  accommodated." 
A  lawyer's  letter  in  1806  shows  that  Mr.  Gascoigne  and 
Colonel  Leigh  had  just  been  interviewed  on  the  subject  at 
Carlton  House,  and  that  the  case  would  "  come  on  to- 
morrow," i.e.,  on  February  16,  1806.  But  five  years  after- 
wards there  was  still  trouble ;  for  I  find  Andrew  writing,  in 
that  July,  to  the  Right  Hon.  J.  MacMahon  to  remind  him 
of  the  facts.  Even  by  181 3  it  was  not  all  over  ;  for  there  is  a 
letter  on  November  18  of  that  year  in  which  the  Right  Hon. 
J.  MacMahon  admits  he  has  forgotten  the  facts,  and  adds 
that  in  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Adam,  Chancellor  of  the  Duchy 
of  Cornwall,  "  there  is  no  ground  for  making  the  allowance 
demanded."  How  it  all  ended,  I  do  not  know.  Its  chief 
interest  to  the  general  reader  lies  in  its  connection  with  the 
running  of  the  Prince's  horse,  Escape. 

This  incident  only  bears  indirectly  on  my  immediate 
subject,  and  I  have  gone  fully  into  the  matter  in  my  "  History 
of  the  English  Turf"  (vol.  ii.  p.  359,  &c.) ;  so  it  will  only  be 
necessary  to  give  the  slightest  sketch  of  the  incident  here. 
The  trouble  all  hinged  on  two  races  which  took  place  on 
October  20  and  21,  1791.     Their  respective  results  were  : 

October  20.     Ditch  In. 

1.  Mr.  Dawson's  Coriander 4  to  i  ag' 

2.  Lord  Grosvenor's  Skylark 5  to  i 

3.  Lord  Clermont's  Pipator 

4.  His  Royal  Highness's  Escape  .        .         .        .       2  to  i 

October  21.     Beacon  Course. 

1.  His  Royal  Highness's  Escape         .         .         .         .       5  to  i  ag' 

2.  Lord  Barrymore's  Chanticleer        .         .         .         .       7  to  4 

3.  Lord  Grosvenor's  SAy^;-^ 11  to  5 

4.  Duke  of  Bedford's  Grey  Diomed    .         .         .         .      6  to  i 

5.  Lord  Clermont's  Pipator 

6.  Mr.  Barton's  Alderman 

184 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

After  the  second  race  Chifney  was  had  up  to  explain 
the  running  before  the  stewards,  Sir  Charles  Bunbury, 
Mr.  Ralph  Dutton,  and  Mr.  Panton.  I  have  seen 
nothing  in  that  explanation,  recorded  elsewhere,  which 
now  seems  unsatisfactory ;  indeed,  unless  Sir  Charles 
knew  more  than  has  come  down  to  us,  there  was 
no  more  evidence  against  Chifney  or  the  Prince  of 
Wales  than  there  was  against  Sir  Charles  himself,  when  his 
famous  mare  Eleanor  (who  won  the  Derby  and  Oaks  of 
1801)  was  beaten  by  a  common  plater  at  Huntington  (10  to  i 
on  Eleanor)  and  beat  a  first-rate  horse  next  week  at  Egham 
(10  to  I  on  Bobadil).  In  any  case,  acting  on  evidence  which 
has  never  reached  the  public,  the  stewards  of  the  Jockey 
Club  let  it  be  known  that  if  Chifney  rode  the  Prince's  horses 
no  gentleman  would  start  against  him. 

Probably  the  reasons  for  this  verdict  never  will  be  known. 
We  possess,  however,  Chifney's  view  of  the  case,  and  in 
this  is  contained  what  looks  like  a  complete  retractation  on 
the  part  of  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  made  when  it  was  too 
late  and  the  mischief  was  done.  It  is  in  any  case  very 
difficult  to  believe  that  the  Prince  would  either  benefit  him- 
self by  a  villain's  malpractices,  or  allow  a  rascal  to  cheat 
others  by  means  of  one  of  the  royal  horses.  Nor  is  he  likely  to 
have  given  the  public  recognition  of  Chifney's  honesty  implied 
in  the  annuity,  if  much  doubt  had  been  possible.  His 
personal  feelings  he  showed  very  clearly  by  selling  off  a 
large  part  of  his  stud  and  never  racing  at  Newmarket  again. 

I  will  now  print  half  a  dozen  letters  concerning  Chifney's 
connection  with  Andrew  O'Kelly  and  his  racing  partner, 
Concannon,  after  the  Escape  incident. 

I 
To  Colonel  O'Kfxly,  46  Half  Moon  Street, 
Piccadilly,  London. 
Sir 

According  to  your  desire  I  have  made  my  wages  out  to  you  and  I 

Am  sir 

Yours  obediently 

Sa.  Chifney. 
185 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Newmarket 

Sept  .  2srd  1801 

N.B. — I  shall  be  very  glad  sir  that  you  will  make  my  duty  to  Mr 
Concannon  and  I  shall  like  for  him  to  give  me  leave  to  bett  for  him 
these  meetings  were  that  I  much  fancy  a  Race  I  will  take  care  that  their 
shall  not  be  no  suffering  on  his  side  not  one  farthing  that  shall  be  the 
least  improper,  I  likewise  shall  make  it  known  by  sum  very  proper 
means  what  money  he  stands  loseing  upon  every  race  before  the  race 
is  over  when  that  he  has  money  upon  any  race. 

II 

Addressed  :—"  To  Colonel  O'Kelly  N°.  46  Half  Moon  Street. 

Should  the  Colonel  not  be  within  please  deliver  it  to  Mr 
Concannon  immediately."     [1801]. 
Sir 

I  trouble  you  to  make  my  Duty  to  Mr.  Concannon.  I  am  sorry  I 
missed  the  time  of  Entrance  for  Wrangler,  according  to  his  desire, 
thinking  the  entrance  was  the  day  before  running,  but  they  entered  for 
Saturday's  plate  on  Thursday.  Not  seeing  either  Mr  Concannon  or 
you  Sir  I  have  sent  Wrangler  with  Sir  Harry  to  Winchester  as  their  is  a 
plate  for  him  to  run  for.  1  think  he  will  be  best  to  go  from  their  to 
Brighton  &  to  run  for  the  stake  for  the  winner  to  be  sold. 

I  am  exceedingly  sorry  at  his  not  starting  &  just  before  starting 
thought  Wrangler  sure  to  beat  [Vivaldi] 

I  think  Sir  H.  will  beat  [Wafer']  and  if  he  do  I  think  his  price  should 
be  1000  guineas.  I  very  much  wish  Mr.  Concannon  to  back  him 
against  Water.  The  horses  will  be  at  Stockbridge  to-morrow  and  there 
is  fine  exercise  for  them.  I  am  going  down  to  see  Richmond  and  come 
back  to  Stockbridge  immediately. 

Yours  sir 

Obediently 

Sunday.  Chifney. 

I  may  note  that  Sir  R.Heathcote's  b.  c.  Vivaldi,  by  Wood- 
pecker, was  fourth  for  the  Derby  of  1802,  and  must  therefore 
(if  the  same  horse  mentioned  above)  have  been  a  two-year- 
old  at  the  time  of  this  letter ;  but  this  seems  hardly  likely 
if  Wrangler  is  the  bay  six-year-old  sold  in  Lot  11.  of  the  sale 
in  December,  1800.  The  carelessness  of  duplicating  names 
at  this  period  is  responsible  for  much  confusion. 

186 


b 

Q 
Z 

< 

O 
Eh 

>■ 

5 


o 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 


III 


Endorsed  : — "  Concannon's  Remarks  respecting  Wrangler,  Trifle,  &c 
1801." 

My  Dear  O'Kelly 

Chiffney  made  Wrangler's  match  to-day  on  purpose  to  wait.  The 
whole  Turf  was  furious  at  me  for  being  guided  by  a  madman  & 
the  odds  in  consequence  were  7  to  4  and  two  to  one — he  won  very 
easy,  Wrangler  was  faster  much,  of  which  they  had  no  idea — Whaley 
staked  for  Donegal.  Seeing  possible  advantage  they  are  taking  his 
forfeits,  not  paid  stakes,  and  Lord  knows  what.  Weatherby  insolent 
about  it.  I  declared  I  would  pay  and  demand  upon  him.  I  was 
told  they  would  not  let  Trifle  start.  I  immediately  rode  to  the  post 
myself,  and  ordered  Sam  to  walk  over  for  the  money  which  he  did. 
I  have  not  entered  into  the  case  with  any  of  them.  I  dine  with 
Lord  Hampden  and  Mr.  Rigby  who  are  are  here  ;  I  shall  probably 
hear  it  all  after  dinner.  What  a  man  Donegal  is  to  defend  !  Can 
anybody  account  for  this  strange  neglect  ?  Trifle  would  have  won 
had  Scliedona  been  well.  I  never  saw  a  horse  look  so  well.  I 
shall  certainly  speak  most  warmly  for  D.  on  the  question.  It  is  an 
infamous  advantage  to  take  of  a  person  in  his  situation.  Who  would 
have  heard  of  their  rules,  as  I  said  to-day  in  the  Coffee-Room,  had 
Scliedona  belonged  to  him  ?  I  staked  for  Vane  and  myself  with  no 
small  difficulty  and  of  my  p.  p.  bets  not  sixpence  could  I  hedge  off, 
[Ringivood']  came  sound  and  well  to  the  post — we  expected  him  to 
win.  In  the  first  quarter  of  a  mile  he  bolted  smack  out  of  the 
course,  and  I  am  now  sure  it  was  a  practice  of  his,  though  Vane's 
man  always  denied  it.  I  send  you  a  list.  If  I  don't  sell  Wrangler 
this  night  he  shall  go  to  Brocket  Hall  for  a  selling  plate  on  Thurs- 
day. They  frightened  me  so  much  I  did  not  dare  to  back  him  as 
I  wished,  but  there  was  a  still  better  reason. 

Adieu,  I  shall  be  off  to-morrow. 
I  sold  the  infamous  filly  for  30  guineas. 

[No  signature] 

IV 

Letter  from  A.  D.  O'Kelly  to  Chifney  in  December  1801. 

Sam 

I  am  extremely  glad  to  see  that  you  are  well  enough  to  write  again. 
...  I  desired  Mr.  Harvey  to  tell  you  when  at  Newmarket  that  if  you 
and  Mrs.  Chifney  thought  a  change  of  air  would  be  conducive  to  your 

187 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

recovery,  to  come  immediately  and  you  should  have  an  apartment  either 
at  my  house  here  or  at  Cannons  and  be  attended  by  the  first  physician 
in  the  town. 

V 

In  Chifney's  reply  occurs  the  sentence : 

I  have  been  impos'd  upon  in  respect  to  the  Bit  makers,  that  has 
caused  the  patent  to  be  taken  from  me  and  throw'd  me  into  this 
distress'd  situation. 

VI 

In  February  1802,  Sam  Chifney  wrote  to  46  Half-Moon 
Street  to  Jerry  Harris,  the  boy  who  looked  after  Sir 
Harry. 

In  this  letter,  which  was  written  for  the  boy  to  show 
Colonel  Andrew  in  order  to  get  his  wages,  Chifney  says  : 

"  I  thought  of  giving  you  five  shillings  per  week  for  your  wages  and 
cloths  which  I  am  sure  the  Colonel  will  be  satisfied  with." 

As  examples  of  the  kind  of  men  with  whom  Philip  and 
Andrew  O'Kelly  had  dealings  on  the  Turf,  I  will  give  three 
instances  of  correspondence  with  Captain  Marston,  Major 
Horace  St.  Paul,  and  General  Lake ;  and  it  may  be  of 
interest  to  preface  these  with  a  list  of  the  O'Kelly  stud — in 
part — made  out  in  the  course  of  1805,  with  which  I  must 
conclude  the  racing  portion  of  Andrew's  career. 

I 

LIST  OF  THE  O'KELLY  STUD  IN  1805 

Dungannon 

Volunteer 

Bay  mare  by  Highflyer  with  colt  foal  by  Sir    Harry,  covered  by 
Dungannon. 

Bay   mare   by   Eclipse,   own    sister   to   Queen    Scota,   covered   by 
Ambrosio. 

Bay  mare  by  Eclipse,  own  sister  to  Soldier,  out  of  Miss  Spindle- 
shanks,  covered  by  Kill  Devil. 

Chestnut  mare,  Flirtilla,  by  Conductor,  covered  by  Kill  Devil. 

Chestnut  mare  by  Volunteer  covered  by  Kill  Devil. 

188 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Bay   mare    by   Evergreen   out   of  a   sister  to   Calash,  covered   by 

Volunteer 
Bay  mare  Teetotum  by  Matchem,  covered  by  Dungannon  ' 

Bay  mare  Letitia,  by  Highflyer,  covered  by  Dungannon 
Bay  colt  2  yr-old  by  Sir  Harry  out  of  an  own  sister  to  Soldier 
Bay  Filly  2  yr-old  by  Sir  Harry 
Bay  Filly  3  yr-old  by  Dungannon  out  of  the  sister  to  Noble. 

II 

Maj'  Horace  St  Paul  writes  to  Andrew  O'Kelly  in  June  1804,  about 

fetching  thoroughbred  stock  he  had  purchased  at  Clay  Hill  and 

at  Cannons,  and  horses  kept  at  Epsom  for  him,  and  about  a 

"  two-year-old  filly  going  to  Sir  Harry." 

A  bill   for   _£8o3    15s.   is   handed  to   Colonel  St   Paul   in   1804   by 

P.  O'Kelly 
Containing  keep  of  a  bay  Mare  at  ;^20  17s.  a  year  for  eight  years 
from  1795  to  1803.     Her  fees  for 
Volunteer  (1796)  ;^io  los. 
Dungannon  (1797)  £\'2  12s. 
Volunteer  (1798,  9,  1800,  i,  2)  ;£i2  12s. 
Volunteer  (1803  &  4)  ;^io  los. 
To  groom's  fees  £\  14s.  bd. 
Keep  of  Bay  Filly  by  Dungannon  from  Nov.  i,  1798  to  May  i,  1799 
£15  I2S.  on  corn,  hay  &c.  in  loose  box  and  paddock,  and  £t^(>  8s. 
per  ann.  afterwards 
Keep  of  Chesnut  filly  by  Volunteer,  the  same. 
Chesnut  colt  by  Volunteer,  the  same. 
To  Colt  Breaker  £2  2s. 
Suit  of  cloths  for  the  Colt  £(y  los. 
Colts  keep  with  Trainer  from  i  Sept.  1803  to  i  May  1804  @,  £\\\  b 

per  week.    ;^5o  9s. 
Another  bay  filly  &   another  Chesnut  filly,  both  by  Volunteer  also 
appear. 

Ill 

Captain  Marston  gives  Col.  Dennis  O'Kelly  two  hundred  guineas  for 
his  Horse  in  for  the  Pavilion  Stake  of  1803  and  five  hundred  more 
should  he  win.  He  will  give  him  fifty  (;£'5o)  the  first  plate  or  match  he 
wins  after  the  stake  is  run  for,  and  fifty  the  second  he  wins 

MoLYNEUx  Marston 

27  June  1803 
London. 

189 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

IV 

O'Kelly  Esquire  to  General  Lake  D"^ 

By  four  mares  covered  by  Anvill    .         .         .         .2160 

Groom 220 

By  oats,   5  Quarters  and   one  bushel  at  _£i  6  o 

P-  Q'' , ;      6  13     3 

June  16.     By  keeping  two  mares  13  weeks  at  7/6 

each  per  week 9  15     o 

By  keeping  one  D°  9  weeks  at  D°  .  .  .  -376 
By  keeping  one  D"  8  weeks  at  D°   .         .         .         .300 

45  17     9 

This  General  Lake  is  no  doubt  the  gentleman  who  was 
with  the  Prince  of  Wales  when  he  first  met  Perdita  by- 
moonlight  on  the  river  bank  near  Kew,  with  the  Bishop  of 
Osnaburg  in  attendance.  He  will,  therefore,  form  a 
romantic  link  between  the  first  part  of  this  chapter  and  the 
second,  in  which  I  must  forthwith  complete  my  sketch  of 
the  O'Kelly  family  by  giving  some  idea  of  Andrew's  life 
among  his  family  and  friends  at  Cannons,  or  in  London. 


190 


^ 


V 


^ 


1 

i 


^1 


< 

m 
a 

o 


o 

w 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ANDREW  O'KELLY  {continued) 

Vestiti  hyacintho  principes  et  magistratus,Juvenes  cupid'inis,  universes  estates, 

ascensores  etjuorum 

Part  II.— AT  HOME 

Portrait  of  Andrew  by  Alexander  Pope — "  The  Prince's  Set " — Duns  and 
Bailiffs — Servants — Demand  for  an  Apology — Andrew's  Account-books — 
Mrs.  O'Kelly's  Furnished  Houses — Letter  from  Mr.  Higgins — The  Irish 
Regency — The  Militia  Colonelcy — Philip  O'Kelly's  Letter— The  Clay  Hill 
Property — Stable  Bills — Blacksmith's  Bills — Garrard's  Painting — Bills  from 
Jewellers  and  Bootmakers — Venison  at  Cannons — Lord  Ranelagh — 
Churchwarden  and  Minister — The  Duke  of  Sussex — Lord  Donoughmore 
and  Lord  Moira — Mr.  Michell's  Letters  to  Dublin — Letter  from  his  Son 
Charles— Andrew's  Will — Philip  Whitfield  Harvey — The  Grattans— Cel- 
bridge — Nelson's  Burial. 

THE  portrait  of  Andrew  O' Kelly  reproduced  with  these 
pages  is,  I  believe,  as  unknown  to  the  general  public 
as  that  of  his  uncle,  the  more  famous  Dennis.  It  was 
most  kindly  sent  to  me  from  Ballynastragh,  Gorey, 
CO.  Wexford,  by  Sir  Thomas  Grattan  Esmonde,  and  was 
painted  by  Alexander  Pope,  who  was  born  at  Cork,  and 
studied  in  Dublin.  He  painted  portraits  in  Cork  and 
occasionally  acted  on  the  stage,  which  led  to  his  visiting 
London,  where  he  acted  Othello,  Henry  VIII.,  and  other 
parts  with  success  at  Covent  Garden.  His  work  was  chiefly 
in  the  form  of  miniatures  or  small-sized  portraits,  as  in  the 
present  instance,  and  he  exhibited  in  the  Royal  Academy 
from  1790  to  1 82 1.     He  died  in  1835. 

This  little  painting  is  an  admirable  example  of  his  work 

191 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

in  1784,  while  he  was  still  in  Ireland,  and  was  probably  done 
while  Andrew  was  on  a  visit  to  his  relations,  the  Harveys, 
in  Dublin,  and  before  the  death  of  his  uncle  Dennis,  to  whom 
the  original  must  have  belonged.  It  is  excellently  drawn, 
and  the  tints  of  the  oil-colour  are  most  delicately  applied. 
The  features  provide  yet  one  more  proof  (if  more  be  needed 
now)  that  the  O'Kelly  family  were  originally  of  good  birth 
and  breeding  ;  and  this  is  the  more  remarkable  because 
Andrew's  father,  Philip,  whom  Dennis  put  in  charge  of  their 
first  racing  stud  at  Epsom,  was  apparently  the  least  educated  of 
the  family,  judging  from  his  letters  as  compared  with  the  hand- 
writing of  Dennis.  There  were  two  sisters,  Mary  O'Kelly, 
who  married  Whitfeld  Harvey,  and  another  who  married 
Sterne  Tighe.  Neither  of  these  ladies  could  have  been  un- 
cultured or  uneducated,  since  they  were  chosen  by  husbands 
who  were  well  known  and  respected  among  Irish  county 
families.  Nor  can  Philip  O'Kelly's  wife  have  been  anything 
but  a  refined  woman  of  some  social  standing,  if  we  are  to  judge 
from  the  face  she  transmitted  to  her  son.  It  is  not  the 
O'Kelly  face,  if  you  compare  it  with  the  bony  framework  and 
rugged  outlines  of  Dennis  in  the  frontispiece.  And  it  pro- 
bably bears  the  impress  of  the  travel  and  culture  which 
Dennis  was  careful  to  give  his  heir,  and  which  had  produced 
the  excellently-dressed  young  man  we  see  in  the  picture  of 
1784.  There  is  the  quality  which  that  century  called 
"urbanity"  in  the  face,  I  think.  But  Andrew  was  good- 
hearted  as  well  ;  and  if  he  does  not  betray  all  the  virile 
characteristics  of  his  uncle,  he  probably  made  up  for  it  in 
the  estimation  of  his  contemporaries  by  a  correct  behaviour 
and  polite  deportment  which  justified  his  admission  both 
to  the  Jockey  Club  and  to  the  circle  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
His  other  acquaintances  were  both  highly  placed  and 
judiciously  chosen,  as  will  be  seen  from  my  extracts  from  his 
papers.  When  he  had  once  made  a  friend  he  stuck  to  him, 
even  when,  as  in  the  case  of  Lord  Donegal  and  others,  the 
friendship  involved  severe  pecuniary  losses. 

I  will  give  a  few  typical  incidents  which  may  throw  some 
light  upon  his  character  and  personality  to  begin  with  ;  and 

192 


ny/K/'/fW  L^^ytelM/ 


* 


*; 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

shall  then  take  the  various  documents  in  their  chronological 
order  and  allow  them  to  unfold  their  interesting  little  story 
of  an  Irish  sportsman  in  London  from  about  1788  to  about 
1825.  Within  that  period  Beau  Brummell  was  at  the  height 
of  his  power,  and  within  it  too  he  paid  the  price  and  went 
into  bitter  exile,  looking  out  in  vain  from  Calais  Pier  for  the 
Prince  who  seemed  determined  to  forget  his  friend.  Within 
these  years  arose  Almack's  Rooms,  which  became  Willis's, 
through  whose  hallowed  portals  even  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton dared  not  to  pass  without  knee  breeches  on.  Within  it 
came  the  burial  of  Nelson,  which  Andrew  O'Kelly  attended, 
and  wrote  a  long  description  reproduced  from  his  manu- 
scripts in  my  Appendix.  Among  the  memoranda  are 
scattered  details  of  the  cost  of  living,  of  rents  and  taxes,  of 
household  expenses,  Irish  politics,  the  Duke  of  Sussex, 
freemasonry,  the  militia,  constant  struggles  with  tradesmen, 
bailiffs  and  lawyers,  and  occasional  hints  of  obscurer,  deeper 
tragedies.  This  is  no  place  to  treat  of  all  these  matters 
fully  ;  but  I  have  made  a  selection  of  what  will  perhaps  be 
of  most  interest  to  the  many  who  will  learn  for  the  first 
time  what  manner  of  man  was  the  famous  O'Kelly's  heir. 

From  what  I  have  said  about  bailiffs  and  duns,  it  must 
not  be  imagined  that  Andrew  was  what  would  now  be  called 
"  hard-up."  The  Cannons  estate  would  alone  have  always 
prevented  that,  and  I  am  bound  to  say  he  used  it  pretty 
freely,  with  mortgages  and  tenants  and  every  other  form  of 
raising  money.  But  he  cannot  have  left  very  much  behind 
him  when  the  clearance  came  to  be  made  by  the  trustees  of 
his  will,  for  he  does  not  seem  to  have  ever  got  much  out  of 
Lord  Donegal  to  balance  all  the  losses  that  thoughtless 
nobleman  occasioned. 

As  early  as  December,  1800,  I  find  careful  note  made  of  a 
"  draft  for  £^2>  2>^-  to  pay  as  a  compliment  to  the  sheriff's 
officer  not  to  arrest  Colonel  O'Kelly."  But  these  trifles  never 
seem  to  have  bothered  him  much,  and  the  methodical  way 
he  kept  his  papers  and  letters  shows  that  it  took  a  good  deal 
to  ruffle  his  serenity.  Taking  a  few  of  his  memoranda  for 
the  same  year,  I  find  a  Doctor  Kennedy  writing  that  "  Mr. 

193  N 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Parker  will  call  at  eleven  to  see  Lady  Donegal's  necklace," 
which  possibly  suggests  a  pawnbroker.  But  he  and  Lord 
Donegal  were  then  on  excellent  terms.  That  February 
his  lordship  writes  to  his  "Dear  Colonel,"  enclosing  "a 
draft  for  the  money  "  from  West  Wycombe  Park,  and  adding 
that  he  was  "  just  come  from  the  foxhounds  "  and  "to-morrow 
I  turn  out  a  deer."  The  writer  was  then  thirty-one,  and  had 
just  inherited  his  father's  title  ;  but  he  writes  just  as  happily 
and  does  just  the  same  things,  when  he  is  technically  a 
prisoner  in  the  Fleet  in  1794. 

In  1800,  too,  Lord  Donegal's  cook,  Fullerton  by  name, 
writes  to  Andrew  to  intercede  for  him  to  be  kept  in  his  place 
at  Wycombe,  which  Andrew  no  doubt  did  ;  for  his  kindness 
to  servants  was  only  one  indication  of  his  sound  character. 
Thomas  Sullivan,  for  instance,  apparently  a  footman,  writes 
as  follows  in  1800,  being  obliged  to  leave  his  service. 

Be  pleased  to  look  over  my  books  &  point  out  any  charge  which 
you  may  think  improper.  You  may  see  that  I  have  charged  no  board 
wages  when  at  any  gentleman's  which  is  frequently  done,  neither  have 
I  charged  for  cloaths  which  cost  me  a  deal  of  money,  as  I  would  prefer 
your  good  wishes,  your  kindness  being  such  to  me  in  the  distressed 
situation  I  was  in  when  I  hired  to  you  as  shall  always  make  me  feel  the 
most  grateful  wishes  for  you  &  family. 

Already  it  seems  that  Lord  Donegal's  difficulties  had 
seriously  begun,  for  in  1800  John  Congreve  writes  from 
Richardson's  in  Covent  Garden,  giving  his  address  at 
Carrick-on-Suir  in  Ireland,  speaking  of  the  enviable 
"  intimacy  with  Mrs.  Lyon,  a  charming  woman,"  adding  : 

I  feel  melancholy  at  the  idea  of  not  seeing  even  a  distant  prospect  of 
salvation  for  our  friend  Donegal.  He  is  not  candid  with  his  friends. 
Can  there  be  a  greater  mistake  ?  You  will,  I  know,  stick  to  him  &  do 
for  him  the  best  in  your  power. 

Strongly  as  Andrew  O'Kelly  stood  up  for  his  friends,  he 
knew  how  to  resent  an  insult,  and  I  give  a  letter,  written 
about  this  time,  as  a  model  of  a  form  of  correspondence 
that  has  now  gone  out  of  fashion. 

194 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

Half  Moon  Street 
half  past  two  o'clock 
Tuesday  morning 
to  E.  M.  Esq'*^ 

Sir 

The  unprovoked  attack  which  you  thought  proper  to  make  upon  me 
last  night  would  have  justified  the  most  summary  mode  that  I  could 
have  taken  to  resent  it.  But  the  respect  I  bear  to  my  own  character 
&  the  society  in  which  it  happened  rendered  it  impossible  for  me  to 
proceed  in  a  manner  which  most  probably  I  should  have  done  had  I 
been  differently  situated.  My  friend  Lord  Ranelagh  who  does  me  the 
honour  of  delivering  this  letter  to  you  has  been  so  good  as  to  under- 
take to  explain  to  you  the  absolute  necessity  of  your  immediately 
making  me  the  most  ample  &  satisfactory  apology  and  which  I  trust 
upon  reflection  you  will  see  the  propriety  of  and  prevent  the  conse- 
quences which  from  a  refusal  must  naturally  follow  and  which  you 
yourself  will  have  to  answer  for. 

I  am  Sir 

Your  Humble  Servant 

(Signed)        A.  D.  O'Kelly. 

Mr.  M.  immediately  sent  back  an  apology,  saying  he 
was  "  sorry  for  having  used  the  words  he  did."  He  appears, 
for  a  respectable  sum,  on  the  list  of  Lord  Donegal's 
creditors,  and  with  this  reference  I  have  done  with  both  of 
them. 

Andrew  started  an  account  book  in  January  1788,  less 
than  a  month  after  his  father's  death  had  handed  on  the 
estate.  The  first  entry  is  i6s.  lod.  "to  John  Jelly, 
apothecary,"  and  a  large  number  of  entries  occur  every 
month  "to  Mrs.  O'Kelly."  This  I  believe  to  be  his  wife. 
Other  entries  are : 

in  1788 

May  30.  To  Charles  Scoffield  for   painting   done 

at  Cannons       .         .         .         .         .         .         .     ^^iio  i6     3 

June  5.  To  Thos  Waldron  Cabinet-maker      .         .       ;^5o     o     o 

July  2.  To  Lochee  Limner ;£5     5     o 

195 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

in  1789 

April  6.  To  three  Hogsheads  of  Claret  at  £^2  per 

Hogshead ;^i26     o    o 

in  1793 

May  25.  To  Crouch  for  newspapers        .         .        .        £Z     S     <^ 
Dec  16.  To  Robt  Fogg  for  Tea      ....       ;^i2  12     o 

in  1794 

Feby  19.  To  Tho'  Clutterbuck  Brewer  .         .        .       ^^50     o     o 
Feby  20.  "To   Mr'  O' Kelly  by  Mr.  Bond  for  six 

month's  rent  of   my   house  in    Half   Moon 

Street"    ..." ;^8o  11     o 

and  the  same  item  appears  in  August  1795 

"  by  Count  Tilly," 

in  1796 

April  I.  To  J"'  Brookbank £1^^     6     8 

in  1799 

April  I.  To  Mrs  O'Kelly  to  pay  her  rent,  &c.        .       ^^94  18     o 
April  8.  To  Mrs  C.  O'Kelly ^220 

The  last  entry  is  April  30,  1801. 

In  the  early  years  wine  and  wax  candles  take  a  large 
place,  and  items  like  "  stay  maker,"  "  mantua-maker,"  &c., 
proclaim  the  married  man.  I  will  therefore  follow  up  these 
with  a  few   extracts  from    Mrs.    O' Kelly's  accounts   from 

1795: 

Sundries ;^r457  7  7 

Upholsterers ^^45°  o  o 

Security  to  Mr  Pilton ;^82o  o  o 

Total  ;f  2727  7  7  for  furnished  Houses. 


These  houses  were : 

18  Berkeley  Square.  "  Will  let  by  the  year  for  350  guineas  &  for 
six  weeks  in  winter  at  10  gs  a  week,  and  6  in  summer.  Rent  £i^e^  a 
year,  taxes  about  £<\o." 

I  Chesterfield  Street  "  lets  for  8  months  at  4^  guineas  a  week  &  is 
now  let  for  7I  guineas  for  9  months." 

Rent  ;^i40  a  year,  taxes  about  £2^^. 
196 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

33  Half  Moon  Street  "  lets  for  8  guineas  a  week  for  3  months,  and 
6  gs  a  week  in  summer    ;  is  now  let  at  250  gs  a  year." 
Rent  100  gs  ;  taxes  about  ^£25. 

45  Half  Moon  Street.  "  Has  let  for  200  gs.  a  year,  at  6  gs.  a  week  in 
winter  :  is  now  let  for  a  year  at  ;^2oo.  Rent  ;^ioo  a  year  and  taxes 
about  ;^20." 

8  Charles  Street,  Manchester  Square,  was  taxed  at  £2  10  a  quarter 
for  20  windows,  and  the  house  was  rated  at  £\0.  (Andrew  lived  here 
in  1806.) 

In  1799  Epsom  house  was  taken  by  Lord  Elcho,  who  tried  to  give 
his  help  with  Lord  Donegal  in  1800. 

In  1816  a  House  "in  Piccadilly  "  was  let  to  Lord  Audley. 

The  House  at  46  Half  Moon  Street,  which  Andrew  inherited  from 
his  uncle,  is  now  represented  by  90  Piccadilly,  with  the  entrance  in 
Half  Moon  Street. 

The  next  paper  refers  to  Irish  affairs,  and  is  written  by  a 
friend  of  Andrew's  Dublin  cousins. 

Letter  addressed  to  Captain  O' Kelly, 

Near  Half  Moon  Street,  Piccadilly, 

London,  from  Mr.  F.  Higgins,  Feb.  7,  1789. 

Stephen's  Green. 
My  ever  dearest  Friend 

To  upbraid  you  for  idleness  in  not  writing  would  be  but  justice,  yet 
knowing  as  I  do  the  kindness  of  your  mind  and  the  urbanity  and 
goodness  of  your  heart,  it  would  give  me  infinite  pain  to  write  a  line 
that  would  be  not  less  grateful  than  your  friendship's. 

Your  Prince  of  Wales  will  no  doubt  be  called  to  the  Regency  of 
Ireland  unshackled  and  without  restriction  from  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, for  last  night  on  the  question  of  adjournment  for  a  week,  the 
M  inister  here  had  a  majority  of  54  against  him  and  on  Wednesday  next 
the  Regency  business  comes  on.  The  most  authentic  reports  mention 
that  Lord  Spencer  is  to  be  Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  and  Mr  Pelham 
Secretary,  and  although  I  have  a  knowledge  of  Mr  Pelham,  yet  as 
Grattan  is  the  leader  here  of  the  new  administration  I  cannot  possibly 
expect  to  be  continued  unless  terms  are  timely  and  immediately  made 

for  me  in  London Having  much  injured  the  paper  belonging  to 

me  by  taking  a  decided  part  for  the  Government  of  the  Country,  I  do 

197 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

most  solemnly  assure  you  my  life  and  property  were  in  imminent 
danger  when  riot  and  outrage,  tarring  and  feathering,  and  whipping 
prevailed   in  the   city  and  the   Government    unable  or  incapable  to 

prevent  it I  am  ashamed  always  towards  the  ending  of  my 

letter  to  begin  talking  of  your  mother,  and  the  unparalleled  affection 
and  attention  I  received  from  her  and  good  Mrs.  O'Kelly.     I  must  also 

include  the  Miss  Harveys Please  to  recollect  me  in  the  most 

kind  manner  to  Mr  Clarke. 

Writing  again  on  February  ii,  Mr.  F.  Higgins  says: 

Let  me  inform  you  (and  I   suppose  you  will  be  one  of  the 

first  in  England  who  will  receive  the  information)  that  on  this  night, 
nth  of  Feb^'  (1789)  a  resolution  has  passed  to  address  the  Prince  of 
Wales  to  accept  the  Regency  without  restriction  or  limitation.  It  is 
now  half  past  eleven  and  the  House  of  Commons  sitting,  great  and 
violent  debates  going  on  with  regard  to  the  form  and  manner  of  voting 
him  Regent,  particularly  as  the  English  House  of  Commons  has  not 
established  a  precedent.  Lord  Loftus,  who  some  few  days  since 
obtained  the  office  of  joint  Postmaster  General  and  who  commands  ten 
voices  in  the  House  of  Commons,  Lord  Shannon  12,  the  Duke  of 
Leinster  9,  all  united  and  deserted  the  standard  of  Government,  and  on 
the  question  of  an  address  to  the  Marquis  of  Buckingham  the  most 
gross  abuse  followed  ;  your  friend  Mr  Curran  was  extremely  severe. 
On  a  question  of  adjournments  54  majority  appeared  against  the 
Administration,  and  on  this  night's  debate  Government  gives  little  or 
no  opposition.  But  it  is  expected  that  in  the  Lords  a  majority  will  be 
found  to  counteract  the  Commons,  and  of  course  great  confusion  will 
ensue.     Lord  Spencer  is  announced  as  Lord  Lieutenant 

Say  for  me  to  your  father  and  mother,  good  Mrs  O'Kelly,  and  the 
Miss  Harveys,  everything  that  friendship  and  gratitude  can  suggest.  I 
hope  in  God  to  have  you  here  as  soon  as  this  political  storm  shall  have 
in  any  degree  ceased,  and  I  will  return  to  see  them  to  whom  I  owe 
every  obligation  that  friendship  and  warm  regards  can  be  susceptible 
of. 

Adieu,  and  may  all-gracious  Providence  illumine  and  direct  your 
footsteps  to  everything  that  is  conducive  to  your  happiness  here  and  in 
another  world. 

Yours  in  both  and  Eternally 

whilst  F.  H. 

I  can't  get  little  Harvey  to  go  to  school  where  I  desire.  I  have  not 
time  to  read  this  over. 

198 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

These  letters  were,  of  course,  written  after  the  struggle 
for  the  Regency  which  followed  King  George  III.'s  serious 
illness  in  1788.  It  will  be  recalled  that  his  Majesty's  health 
improved  by  February  19  next  year,  and  was  completely 
restored  by  February  26,  1789;  but  that  on  February  11, 
the  date  of  the  second  letter  quoted  above,  the  English 
House  of  Commons  were  still  discussing  the  Regency  IBill, 
which  passed  on  the  12th.  No  doubt  the  King's  recovery 
was  a  severe  blow  to  the  Whigs  ;  but  it  was  even  worse  for 
the  Irish  Parliament,  for  their  deputation  arrived  on 
February  27,  the  very  day  the  discontinuance  of  the  bulletins 
had  been  announced. 

Laughter  from  the  Cambrian  rocks 
Mingled  with  the  name  of  Fox  ; 
Laughter  from  the  British  main 
Came  with  clanks  of  lash  and  chain.  .  . 

And  no  amount  of  hospitality  from  the  Prince,  the  Duke 
of  York,  or  the  Whig  leaders  could  drown  the  Homeric 
merriment  with  which  the  unlucky  Irish  deputation  was 
received. 

I  have  already  said  that  Andrew  followed  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  uncle,  and  became  a  Militia  colonel.  The 
three  letters  bearing  upon  this  are  herewith  printed  below : 

I 

I  do  hereby  certify  and  declare  that  1  will  immediately  on  Cap' 
O'Kelly's  paying  into  the  hands  of  Hugh  Dive  Esq'  for  my  use  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  pounds,  resign  my  Lieut-Colonelcy  in  the  Westminster 
Regiment  of  Militia  in  his  favor;  provided  also  that  the  said  O'Kelly 
will  truly  pay  to  me  fifty  guineas  more  should  the  said  Regiment 
remain  embodied  one  year  from  the  date  hereof.  This  agreement 
being  the  terms  Capt.  O'Kelly  proposed  to  Capt.  Poplett  for  my 
Resignation.     Given  under  my  hand  in  London  this  25  Jan''  1793. 

(Signed)  THOMAS  GORDON. 

This  A.  D.  O'Kelly  accepted,  and  on  March  28,  1795,  he 
paid  the  fifty  guineas  agreed  upon,  for  which  H.  Dive  gave 
his  receipt. 

199 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

II 

On  July  27,  1795 
Lord  Titchfield  writes 
to  A.  D.  O' Kelly. 

Sir 

In  consequence  of  a  letter  I  have  this  day  received  from 
Lt.  Gen'  Lascelles,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  have  not 
accepted  the  resignations  of  Major  Chauvel  [?]  and  Captain  Mason.  I 
have  given  the  necessary  directions  to  M'-  Stable  for  the  production  of 
such  papers  as  may  be  necessary  to  you  as  you  desire.  M"'-  Stable  is 
not  at  present  in  town  and  his  clerk  seems  ignorant  of  what  is  meant 

by  the  Regimental  Book I  hope,  Sir,  you  will  excuse  my 

taking  the  liberty  to  suggest  to  you  the  expediency  of  bringing  on  the 
Court  Martial  on  as  early  a  day  as  possible,  in  order  that  those  officers 
whose  resignations  are  delayed  thereby  may  suffer  as  little  inconveni- 
ence therefrom  as  may  be.  It  will  add  much  to  the  importance  of  the 
case  when  I  inform  you  that  this  suggestion  arose  from  an  intimation 
of  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  York.  I  am  sure  your  good  sense  will  have 
made  this  hint  entirely  unnecessary.  ...  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Sir, 

Your  most  obedient  servant 

Titchfield. 

Ill 

To  Andrew  D.  O' Kelly  Es'. 

Half  Moon  Street 

Piccadilly 

Endorsed — From  T.  Tyrwhitt  by  order  of  the  Prince  on  the  subject 
of  a  Memorial  to  the  D.  of  York,  1796. 

Carlton  House 

July  15,  1796. 
Dear  O'Kelly 

In  the  course  of  conversation  with  the  Prince  the  other  morning 
your  undeserved  situation  was  our  topic  for  some  time.  The  P.  seemed 
to  think  something  might  be  done  and  he  recommended  a  memorial 
to  the  Commander  in  Chief,  whom  he  imagines  to  be  much  your 
Friend,  stating  in  general  terms  your  case,  &  concluding  with  a 
request  to  be  made  a  Lieutenant  Colonel  to  some  other  Regiment.  He 
imagines  you  might  manage  to  negotiate  for  the  other  Battalion,  but 

200 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

of  this  you  must  be  the  better  judge  by  far.  I  could  not  suffer  you  to 
remain  ignorant  of  the  Prince's  good  wishes,  &  requesting  you  to  lay 
your  commands  on  me  if  I  can  be  serviceable,  I  am.  Dear  O'Kelly, 

Yours  sincerely 

Thos.  Tyrwhitt. 

These  letters  give  more  than  sufficient  evidence  that 
Andrew,  the  heir,  was  called  "  Colonel  O'Kelly"  as  often  as 
his  uncle  Dennis,  and  confusion  between  them  has  been 
natural.  I  pass  on  to  some  correspondence  between  Andrew 
and  his  father,  Philip,  who  evidently  lived  most  of  the  time 
at  Epsom,  with  occasional  visits  to  Cannons  and  London. 

On  February  25,  1794,  Philip  O'Kelly  writes  from 
London  to  his  son  Andrew  in  Brighton  that  the  house  in 
Half-Moon  Street  was  let  to  the  Hon.  Charles  Wyndham 
for  three  months,  at  seven  guineas  a  week. 

I  have  been  after  the  gentleman  M'.  Anderson  who  was  to  pay  for 
the  colt  and  filly  for  the  'gentleman  in  America  but  he  sais  there  is 
not  money  in  hand  to  pay  for  them.  I  offered  to  take  his  Draft  for 
any  given  time  that  he  should  think  but  he  said  that  he  expected  a 
rupture  with  America  and  that  conveniences  of  money  would  be 
stopd  &  there  fore  could  not  take  on  himself  to  do  any  such  thing, 
but  he  would  write  to  the  gent°.  and  as  soon  as  he  would  receive  the 
money  he  would  let  me  know  &c.  I  sold  a  filly  to  M"",  Copley  here 
out  of  Gossamer  for  50  guineas  and  ten  the  first  time  she  wins  &c. 
M'.  Cluckerbork  [!]  would  send  no  more  Beer.  .  .  .  Let  your  Aunt 
know  that  M'.  Wyndham  has  brought  his  own  bed  and  I  sent  for 
M'.  Glover's  man  &  had  her  bed  taken  down  &  sent  to  Glover's. 
M'.  Wyndham  has  brought  as  much  goods  in  to  the  house  as  quite  fill 
it  up.  Your  Mother  is  still  very  bad  with  the  pains  in  her  limbs.  The 
Evergreen  mare  has  dropped  a  very  fine  chesnut  fiily.  I  received 
Lord  Strathmore's  Draft  from  the  Bankers,  .  .  . 

This  is  a  charming  and  very  characteristic  mixture  of 
horseflesh  and  town  houses,  and  I  may  take  the  opportunity 
of  concluding  here  what  little  else  I  have  to  quote  from  the 
memoranda  on  the  question  of  the  Epsom  stud-farm  at 
Clay  Hill,  and  expenses  connected  with  the  O'Kelly  horses. 

On  July  13,  1803,  there  is  careful  note  made  that 


201 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

M'.  Alcock,  steward  of  the  manor,  promised  P.  O'Kelly  Esq''., 
being  fully  authorised  by  Sir  J.  Maulbry  so  to  do,  a  grant  of  the  piece 
of  Wastt  in  the  front  of  the  wall  to  the  road  from  one  end  of 
Clay  Hill  to  the  other,  M"'.  Bond  the  farmer,  M'.  Haswell  the  corn 
chandler,  M'',  Wood  the  Baker,  and  M'.  Blank  the  carpenter  were 
present,  and  were  to  form  the  jury  of  the  Court  Leet, 

On  December  29  of  the  same  year  Andrew  Dennis 
O'Kelly  let  Clay  Hill,  Epsom  (which  he  had  previously  let 
to  Smith  Pannwell,  Esq.)  to  Abel  Craven  Esq. 

being  12  acres  with  coachhouse,  stables,  and  outbuildings  garden 
and  fields,  for  £136  10  a  year,  &  Mr.  Craven  to  repair  all  the  estate,  & 
pay  all  taxes  on  it  &  have  the  usual  right  of  Common  to  the  House. 

On  June  4,  1827,  Mr.  S.  Langlands  (evidently  an 
ancestor  of  the  owner  of  the  present  well-known  stand) 
builder,  of  Epsom,  estimates  ;i^i35  7s.  gd.  for  repair  of  roof 
and  brickwork  at  Clay  Hill  for  H.  Grattan,  Esq.,  M.P.,  and 
a  fortnight  afterwards  a  Mr.  Gardom  reports  that  the  place 
is  in  very  bad  repair  from  dry-rot. 

Clay  Hill  came  into  possession  of  Henry  Grattan,  M.P. 
(second  son  of  the  celebrated  patriot),  through  his  wife 
Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey,  daughter  of  Andrew  O'Kelly's 
cousin,  and  it  then  passed  to  Charles  Langdale  of  Houghton 
through  his  marriage  with  Henrietta  Grattan,  daughter  of 
Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey  (Grattan).  From  Mr.  Langdale  it 
was  bought  by  the  Sherwoods,  in  whose  possession  it  now 
is,  so  that  the  tradition  of  racehorse-training,  natural  to 
that  spot  and  to  its  surroundings,  is  preserved  there  still. 

There  are  a  few  records  of  O'Kelly's  tenancy  of  sufficient 
interest  to  reproduce  here  before  I  pass  on.  In  1804,  for 
instance,  Col.  O'Kelly's  bill  to  Mr.  Edmund  Bond  of  Epsom 
contains : 

June  10.     To  a  Purge  to  a  Colt 26 

To  four  shoes    .         .         .         .         .         .28 

To  Ball  for  y^  Colt 20 

To  bleeding  a  colt  and  a  Ball  .  .  .30 
To  dressing  a  colt's  leg  &  medicine  .  .30 
To  bleeding  a  colt     .        .         .        .         .10 

To  docking  the  Colt 26 

202 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

It  is  not  improbable  that  this  is  the  same  Mr.  Edmund 
Bond  mentioned  in  earlier  pages,  who  attended  the  sale  of 
Dennis's  horses  at  Tattersall's,  and  was  given  the  skeleton 
of  Eclipse  after  its  dissection  by  Saint  Bel. 

Two  bills  from  the  Cannons  Estate  memoranda  will  also 
find  an  appropriate  place  here  : 


I 

The  bill  of  Thomas  Colley,  blacksmith,  of  Stanmore, 
from  January  1804  totheend  of  June,  came  t0;^i3  145.^7^., 
and  includes  the  following  items  : 

s.    d. 

4  shoes 30 

A  new  eye  to  large  bell-handle  .  .  .  .06 
A  new  Iron  Crow,  weight  jibs.  .  .  .  -39 
4  shoes  chaise  horse         .         .         .         •         .         .34 

Paring  Teetotum's  feet 06 

D°  colt  by  Dungannon 06 

To  shoes  to        d"  16 

Paring  5  colts'  and  fillies'  feet  .         .         .         .26 

D°  squirrel  mare  .         .         .         .         •         .06 


II 

1807.         Col.  O'Kelly's  bill  to  Thos  Colley,  Blacksmith  at 
Edgware,  contains  the  following  items  (1807) 

4  shoes 34 

2  barred  shoes  for  carthorse    .         .         .         .         .40 

2  shoes  for  grey  Poney    .         .         .         .         .         .18 

Colts'  feet  pared  down     .         .         .         .         .         .06 

5  shoes  carthorses    .         .         .         .         .         .         .42 

An  interesting  link  between  these  bills  for  horses  and 
accounts  for  other  forms  of  expenditure  is  the  memorandum 
rendered  to  "  O'Kelly  Junior  Esq.,"  at  Cannons,  by  "  Mr. 
Garrard"  in  July  1792.  The  artist  charges  ;^3i  55.  6d. 
for  the  painting  of  Soldier,  including  a  frame  and  packing 
case.     An  engraving  from  this  portrait  of  Eclipse  s  son  is 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

reproduced  with  these  pages.  In  the  matter  of  the  prices 
charged  by  eighteenth  century  artists,  Mr.  R.  W.  Goulding 
has  kindly  written  to  me  from  the  Library  at  Welbeck  to 
say  that  Wootton's  price  for  the  painting  of  Leeds  in  that 
collection  was  12  guineas.  The  same  artist  painted  Bonny 
Black  and  the  Bloody-shouldered  Arabian  (who  was  sent 
from  Aleppo  by  Nathaniel  Harley)  for  Lord  Oxford,  an 
ancestor  of  the  present  Duke  of  Portland  in  the  female  line. 
I  may  add,  as  an  interesting  detail  of  an  artist's  connection 
with  the  Turf,  that  George  Morland  describes,  in  a  letter  to 
his  friend  Dawes,  how  he  once  rode  in  a  regular  race.  .  . 
"  Then  the  drums  beat  and  we  started  ;  it  was  a  four-mile 
heat.  .  ."  I  do  not  remember  having  seen  elsewhere  that 
a  drum  was  used  for  this  purpose. 

In  181 1  Messrs.  Love  &  Co.,  goldsmiths  and  jewellers, 
of  6  Old  Bond  Street,  who  rejoice  in  a  beautifully  engraved 
bill-head,  sent  in  to  Andrew  O'Kelly  an  account,  "  delivered 
by  the  desire  of  Lady  Pomfret,"  of  £^1^  for  a  bracelet. 
Whether  the  name  of  the  firm  suggests  romantic  imaginations 
I  know  not ;  but  on  looking  up  the  leases  of  Cannons  for  the 
same  year  I  find  that  Lady  Pomfret  rented  the  mansion 
and  grounds  from  Andrew  in  181 1  for  £,S^S'^  ^"id  in 
December  18 14  Messrs.  Love  write  again  to  O'Kelly 
regretting  that  "they  cannot  give  the  Colonel  the  informa- 
tion he  wishes  respecting  the  bracelet  Lady  Pomfret  sold  at 
their  house."  Less  romantic  is  the  "gold  screw  ring" 
bought  from  William  Harris,  optical  manufacturer,  of 
50  High  Holborn,  in  1819;  and  to  return  to  entirely 
practical  matters  I  will  add  the  Colonel's  boot  bill  in  181 7. 

To  George  Hoby.  Boot  and  Shoemaker  to  H.R.H.  the  Dukes  of 
Kent,  Cumberland,  Sussex  &  Cambridge  the  Princess  Charlotte  and 
H.S.H.  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe-Cobourg 

Mar,  9,     2  P'  shoes ;^i   I3 

13,     2  P'  Overalls 58 

25,     I  P'  Overalls  footed       .         .         .         .17 

204 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

It  will  no  doubt  completely  and  finally  counteract  the 
mystery  of  the  bracelet  if  I  complete  this  list  of  Colonel 
O'Kelly's  little  purchaseswith  the  record  that  on  June  15, 1818, 
he  bought  one  copy  of  "  True  Piety,"  bound  in  morocco, 
for  85.  8d.  from  H.  FitzPatrick,  Bookseller  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  College  in  Maynooth,  at  4  Capel  Street,  Dublin. 

In  1 80 1  there  occurs  a  pleasant  bit  of  evidence  of  the 
park  at  Cannons  and  O'Kelly's  friendship  with  the  Prince, 
which  I  found  in  a  letter  sent  to  the  equerry  that  year : 

Sir 

I  have  endeavoured  to  select  some  venison  out  of  my  park  at  Cannons 
which  I  hope  will  prove  worthy  the  Prince's  acceptance.  I  have  sent 
it  by  this  day's  coach  directed  to  you  and  request  you  will  do  me 
the  favour  to  present  it  with  my  most  respectful  duty  to  His  Royal 
Highness, 

A.    D.   O'KELLY. 

This  letter  was  enclosed  with  another,  which  shows  that 
Lord  Ranelagh  and  Sir  Richard  Heron  were  among 
Andrew's  friends  at  this  time.     It  runs  as  follows  : 

My  Dear  Jones 

You  are  a  capital  fellow  at  promising  but  a  bad  one  at  performing 
when  writing  is  the  case,  and  you  must  be  obviously  so  when  I 
presume  to  complain.  Are  you  dead  or  alive  or  what  is  your  plea 
for  not  giving  an  account  of  your  journey  and  of  the  state  in  which 
you  found  Lady  Ranelagh  &  the  rest  of  the  family  on  your  arrival  ? 
Have  you  punctually  executed  my  commission  &  said  everything 
kind  &  obliging  for  me  to  her  ladyship  ?  Have  you  seen  anything 
of  the  Sans  Culottes  and  on  their  appearance  are  you  ready  &  willing 
to  give  them  a  warm  reception  ?     Poor  Tom  I  think  is  very  lucky  to 

have  arrived  safe  though  paying  most  cursedly  for  his  passage 

He  is  just  returned  from  Tunbridge  Wells  after  paying  a  visit  to  our 
friends  Sir  Richard  and  Lady  Heron  who  with  myself  are  of  opinion 
that  if  the  correspondence  between  the  late  Lord  Ranelagh  and  the 
Irish  government  on  the  subject  of  Athlone  is  followed  up  it  may 
procure  him  some  advantage  which  I  am  certain  the  poor  fellow  in 
his  present  situation  stands  much  in  need  of 

Believe  me  ever  yours 

1 801.  A.  D.  O'KELLY. 

205 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

That  the  squire  of  Cannons  did  his  duty  by  the  neigh- 
bouring Hunt  is  also  clear  from  a  letter  dated  May  i8o8j  in 
which  W.  Capel  thanks  him  "for  the  attentive  message 
you  sent  me  about  some  young  foxes  the  other  day."  He 
was  a  churchwarden,  too,  as  appears  from  some  correspon- 
dence in  1804: 

Whitchurch  :  20  July  1804 

To  Col.  O'Kelly,  Cannons. 
Dear  Sir 

Knowing  that  you  wish  to  do  your  duty  as  churchwarden,  I  take  the 
Hberty  as  Minister  to  trouble  you  from  time  to  time  with  such  observa- 
tions as  occur  to  me  on  our  joint  duties. 

As  churchwarden  and  minister,  we  are  trustees  for  all  the  charities 
and  gifts  belonging  to  this  Parish  by  Deed  or  Will  or  otherwise  and 
therefore  bound  in  conscience  to  see  as  far  as  may  be  all  the  Donations 
duly  applied.  I  think  it  therefore  our  duty  to  apply  to  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor to  have  his  directions  wiu.  regard  to  the  Church  Plate,  School- 
house,  &c.  I  suppose  one  petition  would  comprehend  all  the  questions 
we  apprehend  to  be  our  duty  to  ascertain. 

I  remain  with  the  greatest  respect 
Dear  Sir 

Your  ever  obliged  servant 

Henry  Poole. 

But  I  fear  his  relations  with  the  parochial  authorities 
of  Whitchurch,  or  Stanmore  Parva,  did  not  always  evoke 
such  polished  correspondence.  In  181 1  he  roused  the 
churchwarden  for  the  time  being  to  the  following  epistle  : 

To  A.  D.  O'Kelly,  4  [?  8]  Charles  St.  Manchester  Sq'^ 

Edgeware  :  Dec.  11,  1811 
Sir 

If  your  Church  Rates  are  not  settled  immediately  the  Vestry  insists 
upon  your  being  cited  next  week.  The  Vestry  Clerk  apprised  you  of 
the  orders. 

I  remain  your  obedient  servant 

John  Rodbard 

Churchwarden 

Little  Stanmore. 
206 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

A  trace  of  the  Colonel's  well-known  charity  (in  which  he 
remembered  his  uncle's  example)  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Countess  of  Loudoun's  letter  to  him  in  June  1812,  when  he 
was  still  in  Charles  Street.  Lady  Loudoun  refers  to  his 
interest  in  the  "  St.  Patrick  Charity,"  and  asks  his  help  to 
send  a  Scotchwoman,  married  to  an  Irishman,  back  to  her 
Irish  home. 

The  next  batch  of  seven  letters  I  have  selected  are  all  in 
the  same  year,  and  refer  in  turn  to  H.R.H.  Augustus 
Frederick,  Duke  of  Sussex,  to  Lord  Moira  and  Lord 
Donoughmore ;  and  are  evidently  connected  with  certain 
social  engagements  inspired  by  the  contemporary  political 
situation  in  Ireland.  The  "  Mr.  Harvey"  referred  to  would 
be  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey,  O'Kelly's  cousin,  and  proprietor 
of  Freeman's  Journal. 

I 

To  Col.  O'Kelly. 

Endorsed  : — Lord  Donoughmore  respecting  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  April  3, 
1812. 

I  was  delighted  with  your  Royal  friend,  and  heard  with  admiration 
the  generous  &  the  just  feelings  of  a  most  enlightened  mind.  He  writes 
with  elegance  &  force  &  has  got  into  entire  possession  of  all  the  details 
as  well  as  of  all  the  fortes  and  the  foibles  of  a  most  difficult  and  multi- 
farious subject. 

D. 

II 

Lord  Donoughmore  writes  to  Col.  O'Kelly  in  Charles  Street,  April 
1812,  returning  Mr.  Harvey's  letter  :  "  respecting  the  very  respectable 
paper  of  which  he  is  the  proprietor.  I  was  perfectly  persuaded  that 
the  publication  to  which  he  refers  was  inserted  either  thro' inadvertency 
or  thro'  some  momentary  accident,  not  within  Mr.  Harvey's  power  to 
control,  and  I  am  very  sensible  of  the  kindness  of  the  explanation  into 
which  he  has  taken  the  trouble  to  enter. 


Truly  yours 

Donoughmore." 


207 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

III 

To  Colonel  the  R*.  Hon.  John  McMahon. 

April  26,  1812. 
Charles  Street 
My  Dear  McMahon 

You  will  excuse  my  suggesting  to  you  an  idea  that  strikes  me 
respecting  the  Article  which  appears  in  the  Freeman's  Journal  of  the 
20th  inst.  Its  length  creates  a  difficulty  in  respect  to  my  procuring 
for  it,  as  I  have  done  for  others  on  the  same  subject,  an  insertion  in 
some  of  the  London  papers,  but  perhaps  that  difficulty  might  be  over- 
come by  a  whisper  in  the  ear  of  Dr.  Dudley  from  yourself  or  some 
other  person  of  influence  with  him,  and  if  an  arrangement  or  under- 
standing to  that  effect,  could  take  place  with  any  other  paper  or  papers 
beside  the  Morning  Herald,  I  will  make  it  my  particular  task  to  select 
the  proper  articles  as  they  appear  and  forward  them  to  such  paper  or 
papers  here  as  may  be  appointed  to  receive,  and  will,  under  such 
influence,  give  insertion  to  them. 

Ever  most  truly  and  cordially  yours 

A.  D.  O'Kelly. 

IV 

From  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Sussex. 

May  1812. 
Dear  O'Kelly 

If  you  can  get  me  a  box  at  the  Pantheon  and  let  me  have  it  soon  this 
morning  you  would  oblige  me  greatly. 

Truly  yours 

S. 

V 

To  Col.  the  R'.  Hon.  John  McMahon. 

25  June  1812 
Charles  Street 
My  Dear  McMahon 

Lest  you  should  not  have  seen  the  Freeman's  yo»j'na/ which  contains 
the  vindication  of  our  noble  friend,  I  enclose  it  for  your  perusal,  and 
should  be  highly  gratified  to  forward  to  the  same  source  of  communi- 
cation a  genuine  copy  of  his  Lordship's  speech  in  the  House  of  Lords 
which   Parry  [?]    is  said  to  have  given  incorrectly.     It  would  be  no 

208 


*»^w^;^^^  "^77^     y  ■*' 


LEITKK  PKOM  TOB  DOKE  OP  SUSJIiX  lo  AKBKlin-  O'EELIT 


f^^^-        '^^ 


SIGNATDEE  OF  DENNIS  OKELLY 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

breach  of  privilege  there,  and  is  certainly  a  great  desideratum  as  the 
most  effectual  means  of  setting  them  right  in  that  country,  where 
obvious  misconceptions  have  converted  the  most  enthusiastic  friends 
mto  bitter  enemies.  I  hope  it  may  be  procured  and  that  no  ordinary 
obstacle  to  so  great  a  good  will  prevent  its  being  effected.  Our  friend 
Sheridan  you  will  see  does  not  occupy  the  same  disadvantageous 
ground  with  the  leaders  on  the  other  side  of  the  water,  but  he  assures 
me  he  will  himself  for  their  more  correct  comprehension  pen  a  clear 
statement  of  his  case  ;  which,  if  accompanied  by  Lord  Moira's  speech, 
would  do  infinite  good  to  the  cause. 

I  am  ever  &  faithfully  yours 

A.  D.  O'Kelly. 


VI 

A.  D.  O'Keli.y  io  Lord  Moira. 

7»/_y3i,  1812 

Charles  St. 

Manchester  Square. 
My  Dear  Lord 

In  the  event  of  your  Lordship's  not  having  returned  to  Town,  which 
I  find  by  enquiring  this  morning  in  St.  James's  Place  to  be  the  case, 
I  have  undertaken  at  the  request  of  the  Committee  of  the  Knights 
Templars  to  communicate  their  united  hope  of  being  honoured  with 
your  Lordship's  presence  to  meet  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Kent  who 
will  preside  at  the  installation  of  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Sussex  as  Grand 
Master  of  the  Order,  At  the  same  time  the  Deputy  Grand  Master 
will  be  appointed,  and  the  Grand  Conclave  will  assemble  for  these 
purposes  at  the  P'reemasons  Tavern  on  Thursday  next  the  6'-'*  August 
at  4  o'clock  precisely. 

The  great  anxiety  of  the  Committee  to  give  to  the  ceremony  all 
possible  interest,  and  the  impossibility  of  filling  up  in  any  way  to  their 
satisfaction  the  blank  which  your  lordship's  absence  would  occasion, 
is  the  apology  for  this  intrusion  on  the  part  of  my  Dear  Lord 

Your  Lordship's  faithful 

and  devoted  humble  servant 

A.  D.  O'Kelly. 
209  o 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

VII 

To  Lord  Moira 

15  Sept.  1812 

8  Charles  Street 
My  dear  Lord 

I  am  commanded  by  the  Duke  of  Sussex  to  acquaint  your  lord- 
ship with  His  Royal  Highness's  intention  of  being  with  you  at 
nine  o'clock  to-morrow  morning.  H.R.H.  purposes  to  get  out  of  his 
carriage  at  the  Green  Park  door  in  Piccadilly  and  to  present  himself 
for  admission  at  your  Lordship's  garden  gate. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  my  dear  Lord 

Your  faithful  and  devoted  servant 

A.  D.  O'Kelly. 

Two  years  afterwards  I  find  the  Duke  of  Sussex  is 
referred  to  again  in  a  letter  from  John  Michell,  who  acted 
as  O'Kelly 's  private  secretary  to  him  in  town,  and  is  now 
writing  to  give  the  news  of  London  when  Andrew  is  staying 
in  Dublin  with  his  cousin  Harvey. 

From  your  own  house. 

Nov.  4th.     Evening. 
My  dear  Colonel 

I  came  here  yesterday  expecting  certainly  to  find  a  letter  from  dear 
Dublin  and  much  am  I  disappointed.  Surely  our  good  friend  Harvey 
will  act  as  your  Secretary  "  me  absente  ;  me  nunquam  de  te  et  tuis 
immemore,"  and  relieve  my  anxiety. 

I  have  seen  Mr.  Bourkhardt.  The  Dra*.  of  H.R.H  the  Duke  of 
Sussex  is  paid,  and  all  is  well  as  to  this  business.  Two  letters  from 
Mr  Wright,  the  latter  from  Algesira,  directs  the  amount  to  be  paid  to 
Herries  &  Co.  on  his  account  and  this  was  punctually  performed  to- 
day by  Mr  Bourkhardt.  Mr  Wright  entreats  you  to  present  his 
grateful  thanks  to  his  Royal  Benefactor  for  this  instance  of  his  liberality. 
Perhaps  you  will  do  this  by  letter  to  H.R.H. 

Bonnor  will  write  to  you,  and  the  contents  of  his  letter  will  make 
you  accord  with  our  Holy  Psalmist  not  to  put  any  Trust  in  Princes, 
I  shall  forbear  any  other  remark  upon  the  subject  than  to  add  that  you 
have  censured  my  worthy  James  Stuart,  and  deserve  to  be  deceived  by 
the  usurping  power,  which  possesses  his  throne.  Here  you  may  indict 
me  for  treason.      I  am  "  saepe  pro  Republica,  semper  pro  Rege." 

210 


O      -i 


O       = 

y-     ~ 

d 


'A 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

V  household  are  all  well,  and  your  house  as  fine  as  a  fiddle, 
beautifully  painted  and  in  order,  Robert  gives  me  a  sorry  description 
of  your  Epsom  Issues,  but  he  has  secured  14  Load  of  hay,  worth 
probably  from  70  to  100  £.  It  appears  that  you  are  unjustly  treated 
there  as  well  as  elsewhere,  and  that  you  suffer  trespasses  with 
impunity. 

To-morrow  I  shall  have  something  more  to  say.  Robert  wants  to 
know  whether  the  horse  is  to  be  taken  up.  I  say  no  until  your  further 
orders,  for  he  now  costs  8s.  per  week  only.  I  have  delivered  the 
Tabinet  at  Mrs  Tagart's  who  is  with  the  Doctor  in  the  country — Hae 
nugae  sunt ! 

To  more  serious  business. 

I  called  with  Clarke  on  Trower  to-day,  who  is  entitled  to  Execution 
— and  this  would  have  issued  on  Monday  but  for  my  representation 
that  the  Marquis  of  D.  was  coming  to  Town,  and  that  I  would  find 
out  Macartney.  Mr  Trower  is  determined  to  proceed  to  extremities 
unless  the  arrears  of  the  Annuity  1500  and  upwards  are  discharged. 
Pray,  my  dear  Colonel,  write  to  me  by  return  of  post,  directed  to 
Rosehill  and  tell  me  what  is  to  be  done.  I  was  compelled  to  state  that 
you  expected  a  sum  from  the  Marquis  and  that  I  knew  it  was  your 
Intention  to  provide  for  the  payment,  if  Lord  D.  could  not  pay  it  or 
secure  it.  Trower  wants  me  to  pledge  myself  that  the  arrears  shall  be 
paid  out  of  the  money  you  expect  to  receive — if  not,  after  waiting  for 
your  Answer,  and  that  Answer  not  satisfactory,  he  will  issue  Execution. 
I  will  be  prepared  for  that.  I  shall  receive  about  250;^  for  Concannon, 
which  1  shall  not  be  drawn  upon  for  for  some  weeks.  I  moreover  expect 
200_^  from  Sir  G.  Bowyer,  and  if  Trower  will  not  be  persuaded  to  wait, 
I  can  so  settle  with  him  as  to  pay  the  amount  of  anything  seizable 
here.  If  necessary  I  will  be  in  London  again  the  moment  I  have  your 
letter,  and  will  do  anything  and  everything  you  wish.  Let  not  this 
make  you  uneasy.  Here  I  am  and  here  I  shall  be  to  ward  off  the 
blow. 

The  Bonnars  desire  their  Love.  The  Bourkhardts  are  as  well  as  can 
be  reasonably  desired. 

I  cannot  say  more  than  to  add  my  grateful  regards  to  Mr  and  Mrs 
H.,  Miss  Mary — Miss  O'Kelly — and  to  assure  you  that  I  am  ever 

Most  sincerely  and  affectionately  yr' 

J°.  C.  MiOHELL. 

U.  Col.  O'Kelly, 

P.  W.  Harvey  Esq. 

72  Stephen's  Green  South 

Dublin. 
211 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

I  have  said  before  that  neither  Colonel  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
nor  his  heir  and  nephew,  Andrew,  had  any  children  who 
survived  them.  But  we  know  that  Andrew  was  married, 
and  in  October  1805  I  find  the  first  trace  of  his  son  Charles 
in  a  bill  delivered  to  him  by  Messrs  Gurney  &  Coakley, 
which  charges : 

s.  d. 
To  two  months'  schooling  to  Master  Charles  .  .  14  o 
To  a  copybook 6 


14    b 

The  disproportion  in  price  between  the  two  items  is 
astonishing ;  but  in  twelve  years'  time  "  Master  Charles  " 
evidently  grew  up  intelligent  enough.  He  writes  to  his 
father  as  follows  : — 

London,  Oct.  13/A,  1817. 
My  Dear  Father 

On  Saturday  last  I  received  your  kind  letter  of  the  8th  ins'  and  went 
immediately  to  Mr  Michell,  to  whom  I  communicated  the  contents  of 
your  epistle.  He  says  that  he  called  on  Mr  Noble,  told  him  you  were 
out  of  Town,  and  requested  that  he  w*^  consent  to  withhold  his  demands 
till  your  retiarn,  to  which  Mr  Noble  assented.  The  reason  of  his  acting 
in  this  manner  was  on  account  of  Mr  Noble  refusing  part  of  the  Rents 
of  the  houses  in  Piccadilly  and  demanding  to  have  Mr  Miller's  with 
the  rest. 

A  few  days  ago  Mr  Michell  went  down  to  Grovenor  Place  and 
discovered  that  Walton  the  broker  was  in  the  act  of  taking  away  all 
the  furniture  and  yours  with  the  rest ;  but  he  told  Walton  on  his  peril 
to  touch  that  part  of  the  property  which  he  claimed  as  yours  and  the 
consequence  was  that  the  cart  was  unloaded,  but  Mr  Mahoney  took 
good  care  that  the  furniture  belonging  to  you  was  locked  up  again  in 
the  stables  since  this  Walton  has  taken  away  without  our  privacy  or 
knowledge  all  your  furniture  and  removed  every  article  of  furniture  out 

of  the  house  even  the  [ ]  grates,  &c  &c.     But  Mr  Mahoney 

says  that  Walton  has  only  removed  them,  not  taken  them  away  for  the 
purpose  of  sale. 

This  fellow  W.  Stacpoole  and  his  posse  are  making  the  most  active 
preparations  to  annoy  you  in  every  possible  way,  and  W.  Stacpoole 
says  he  will  bring  an  action  against  you  and  he  has  no  doubt  but  that 

212 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

he  will  be  able  to  saddle  you  with  all  the  Taxes  and  Rent  of  the  house 
since  Mr  Stacpoole  left  England ;  moreover,  that  you  shall  account 
for  every  individual  article  that  has  been  removed  and  sold  either 
publicly  or  by  private  contract.  Thomas  says  you  permitted  Misses 
H.  &  S.  to  remove  some  things  and  when  called  upon  to  make  an 
affidavit  as  no  doubt  he  will  be  called  upon,  he  must  state  this  and 
give  a  satisfactory  account  of  the  things  which  he  does  not  deny  having 
taken.    Mark  the  villain. 

What  I  have  just  now  told  you  respecting  the  language  of  W. 
Stacpoole  is  nearly  as  he  said  it  from  his  own  mouth.  The  following 
is  also  :  "  That  you  drove  Mr  Stacpoole  out  of  the  Country  at  a  time 
when  his  mind  was  so  distressed  that  he  was  ignorant  whether  he  was 
doing  right  or  wrong,  and  that  George  Stacpoole  himself  said  in  Paris 
you  frightened  him  on  the  road  with  '  here  they  are,'  '  the  bailiffs  are 
coming,  the  bailiffs  are  coming,'  and  so  on,  till  you  accomplished  your 
purpose." 

Mr  Armstrong  has  been  here  and  wished  to  know  if  you  were  ready 
to  go  to  Ireland.  I  questioned  him  respecting  the  money  to  which  he 
replied,  "  Oh  !  that's  all  settled  ;  your  Father  knows  that  we  shall  do 
nothing  till  we  go  to  Ireland." 

There  have  been  two  letters  of  introduction  presented  by  Mr  R. 
Dyce  from  Mr  Bonnor,  who  informs  you  in  his  letter  that  Ann  Gillis  is 
going  to  India  to  be  married  to  some  Gentleman  of  considerable 
fortune  there. 

A  letter  from  Mr  Dod  concerning  Mr  Dobson  the  paperhanger 
has  been  sent  here  requesting  you  will  pay  the  balance  of  Mr 
Dobson's  bill. 

The  e.xpences  attending  my  scholarship  are  enormous  and  they 
W^  not  receive  the  whole  of  the  Money  because  eight  £  and  13 
shillings  was  wanting  to  make  up  the  amount  of  the  last  bill.  ;^28 
will  scarcely  cover  my  expences  and  this  I  must  pay  before  I  go  to 
College.     I  have  received  a  letter  from  Dr  Geldart. 

Pray  write  immediately  with  your  instructions  which  shall  be 
instantly  executed  and  the  result  made  known  to  you  by, 

My  Dear  Father, 

Your  most  affectionate  &  dutiful  son, 

C,  O'Kelly. 
[Charles  Andrew  O'Kelly.] 

P.S.  Mahoney  says  young  Stacpoole  is  in  England  and  taking  steps 
against  us  all  under  the  authority  of  his  father.  The  Daily  prints 
report  that  Miss  Hawke,  whom  they  say  arrived  with  you  at  Pans,  is 
about  to  marry  Sir  G-  P.  Turner. 

213 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Poor  Mr  Curran  is  I  fear  by  this  time  no  more  ;  he  has  been  seized 
twice  since  he  returned  from  Ireland  with  paralytic  strokes  ;  the  first 
time  he  was  not  seriously  affected,  but  he  exacted  a  promise  from  his 
servant  to  conceal  his  having  been  attacked  so  that  it  would  appear 
he  wished  to  die ;  not  the  slightest  hopes  are  entertained  of  his 
recovery. 

Hotel  de  la  Belgique, 

Rue  St.  Thomas  du  Louvre. 
To  Lt.  Col.  O' Kelly. 
at  Paris. 

The  writer  of  this  letter  must  have  died  in  the  course  of 
the  next  three  years,  for  his  father  Andrew  was  dead  before 
the  end  of  1822.  His  affection  for  the  two  children  who 
were  doomed  to  predecease  him  is  very  touchingly  displayed 
in  the  draft  of  his  will,  which  he  drew  up  in  Charles 
Street  on  April  15,  181 2.  He  made  the  following 
depositions : — 

1.  All  his  property  was  to  be  sold,  and  after  payment 
of  his  just  debts,  the  residue  to  be  invested  in  Government 
stock  and  accumulate 

until  my  son  Charles  O'Kelly  now  living  with  me  and  my  daughter 
Eliza  O'Kelly  now  at  Sion  House  Boarding  School  shall  attain  the  age 
of  twentyone  years  at  which  period  my  son  Charles  O'Kelly  shall  be 
entitled  to  two  thirds  of  the  said  property  and  my  daughter  Eliza 
O'Kelly  to  one  third  for  their  sole  use  and  benefit  after  deducting  the 
expense  of  their  education  which  I  most  earnestly  request  my  executors 
will  strictly  attend  to  as  if  they  were  their  own. 

2.  His  large  diamond  ring  to  "  my  dearest  cousin  Philip 
Whitfield  Harvey  "  for  his  life,  and  at  his  death  to  "  my  son 
Charles  O'Kelly,"  or  to  be  an  heirloom  in  the  family. 

3.  "The  next  largest  Diamond  ring  with  hair  round  it" 
for  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey  for  his  sole  use. 

4.  The  "  hair  bracelet  with  a  brilliant  diamond  clasp  "  to 
"his  dear  little  daughter  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey." 

5.  Mourning  rings  of  ;^io  to  "my  most  amiable  and 
excellent  friends"  the   Hon.    Miss   Annabella  Hawke  and 

Miss  Charlotte  Stacpoole. 

214 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

6.  "To  Master  Richard  Stacpoole,  son  of  my  friend 
George  Stacpoole,  of  Grosvenor  Place,  and  the  friend  and 
associate  of  my  son  Charles  O'Kelly,"  he  left  the  "horse 
chaise  and  harness  I  now  drive  ....  and  may  the  friend- 
ship that  at  present  exists  between  him  and  my  son  Charles 
(whose  mild  and  gentlemanly  conduct  and  religious  princi- 
pals I  hope  has  been  of  service  to  him)  never  cease  but  with 
their  lives." 

7.  Gold  watch  and  seals  to  his  son  Charles,  his  residuary 
legatee. 

8.  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey  his  sole  executor  and  guar- 
dian of  his  children. 

Only  one  or  two  names  in  the  above  document  need 
explanation.  "  The  Hon.  Annabella  Hawke  "  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  Admiral,  and  applied  to  the  Queen  for  a 
position  about  the  Court  in  a  memorial  which  Andrew 
drew  up  for  her  in  December  181 3.  Of  the  Stacpooles 
I  find  another  trace  in  the  purchase  (in  August  1819)  of 
"  I  dozen  cider  at  12s."  from  William  Clark,  the  Cider 
Cellars,  Maiden  Lane,  Covent  Garden. 

Andrew's  cousin,  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey,  the  son  of 
Mary  O'Kelly,  was  a  distinguished  literary  man  in  Dublin, 
who  married  Miss  Frances  Tracy,  "  by  which  I  under- 
stand," writes  a  friend  of  the  family  in  1820,  "  he  becomes 
possessed  of  ;^30,ooo  and  ;^5oo  a  year,  besides  other  good 
things.  This  seems  a  wise  and  prudent  step  for  both 
parties." 

Harvey  wrote  from  Ireland  in  August  1819  to  O'Kelly, 
in  Half  Moon  Street,  saying : — 

that  "  Lord  Donegal  is  in  great  distress  for  even  one  hundred  pounds. 
Lady  D.,  that  was,  is  determined  to  proceed  to  London  immediately 
without  a  guinea  or  even  a  carriage.  She  will  not  allow  her  noble  spouse 
to  quit  her  apron  strings,  fearing  that  he  might  tye  himself  to  some 
more  deserving  object." 

Harvey  was  leaving  Ireland,  for  the  South  of  France  for 
his  health,  by  sea  from  Dublin  to  Bordeaux,  in  the  follow- 

215 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

ing   winter ;   and    in   1820    he    describes    his   return    from 
France  on  March  16,  1820: 

"  I  left  Paris  on  Wednesday  at  4.20  and  reached  Calais  on  Friday 
morning  at  5.20,  sailed  at  11  o'clock  and  arrived  at  Dover  by  seven.  On 
Saturday  at  6  in  the  morning  started  for  London  &  reached  the 
Golden  Cross,  Charing  Cross  at  6  that  evening."  He  then  went  by  mail 
through  Shrewsbury  to  Holyhead  and  so  sailed  to  Dublin. 

On  March  13  the  same  excellent  correspondent  had 
informed  O'Kelly  (who  was  at  the  Grand  Hotel  Taranne 
in  Paris)  that  his  friend  Concannon  had  got  into  Parlia- 
ment for  Winchelsea,  and  that  "  Sir  F.  Burdett  and  Mr. 
Hobhouse  will  be  returned  for  Westminster."  Almost  his 
last  communication  is  an  expression  of  horror  at  the  dis- 
covery that  his  annual  expenditure,  "  including  the  paper," 
amounted  to  ;!^536o,  "a  frightful  sum." 

But  it  was  well  spent,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  obituary 
notice  written  after  his  death  on  August  10,  1826,  in  the 
Dublin  Morning  Register,  by  Mr.  Michael  Staunton,  a 
copy  of  which  was  preserved  by  Harvey's  daughter,  Mary 
O'Kelly  Grattan.  From  this  it  appears  that  Philip  Whit- 
field Harvey  was  descended  from  a  family  whose  large 
possessions  in  Wicklow  were  forfeited  at  the  Revolution  of 
1688.  He  was  given  a  commission  in  the  army  in  1794,  in 
a  regiment  commanded 

by  his  cousin-german,  the  late  Colonel  [A.D.]  O'Kelly  of  Half  Moon 
Street  London.  Colonel  O'Kelly  was  honoured  with  the  friendship  of  his 
present  Majesty  and  other  branches  of  the  Royal  family,  and  under  his 
auspices  Mr.  Harvey  was  introduced  to  the  brilliant  circle  of  Carlton, 
Palace  and  had  formed  one  of  the  suite  of  the  Prince  upon  several 
pubUc  occasions.  He  settled  in  Ireland  early  in  1804  &  shortly 
afterwards  commenced  the  regeneration  of  Freeman's  JoJiriial, 
originally  established  forty  years  before  that  time  by  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Lucas.  .  .  .  His  enterprise  led  him  to  print  the  first  twenty-column 
sheet  that  was  ever  used  in  the  diurnal  Press  in  1805, 

and    he    resisted  every  bribe   the  Government   offered    to 
undermine  his  independent  criticism.     He  left  a  handsome 

216 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

fortune  to  his  only  daughter,  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey,  who 
married  Henry  Grattan,  M.P. 

The  facts  here  given  about  the  commission  tally  very 
well  with  the  date  of  January  25,  1793,  which  was  shown 
elsewhere  to  be  the  time  when  Andrew  O'Kelly  bought  his 
Lieutenant-Colonelcy  in  the  Westminster  Regiment  ;  and  it 
was  therefore  in  this  corps  that  his  cousin  Harvey  served. 

The  mention  of  Harvey  supplies  my  best  opportunity 
for  finishing  the  history  of  the  O'Kelly  family  in  its  various 
ramifications,  which  will  be  clearer  from  a  consideration  of 
the  genealogical  table  in  my  Appendix.  I  have  already 
shown  how  the  great  Henry  Grattan  came  into  it,  and  no 
doubt  he  remained  its  most  distinguished  member.  Few 
better  descriptions  of  him  have  been  given  than  the  lines 
written  by  Lord  Carlisle,  ten  years  after  he  had  been  buried 
in  Westminster  Abbey,  on  the  passing  of  the  Emancipation 
Bill,  on  April  13,  1829.  I  transcribe  a  copy  preserved 
among  the  O'Kelly  papers  : 

A  step  more  buoyant,  a  more  sparkling  eye 

Arrest  the  gaze  as  Grattan  passes  by. 

Greet  him,  thou  lovely  Isle,  from  whom  he  brought 

The  fervid  gesture,  the  impassioned  thought, 

The  mind  serenely  brave  and  simply  wise. 

Rich  as  thy  soil  and  tender  as  thy  skies. 

Thine  was  his  evening  task,  his  morning  theme. 

His  patient  labour  and  his  gorgeous  dream 

Thine  when  aloft  his  lion  spirit  rose. 
Mid  the  full  conclave  of  his  country's  foes. 
Tore  from  detected  fraud  the  flimsy  veil 
And  bade  corruption's  palsied  legions  quail. 
Oh  that  he  might  on  this  bright-omened  day 
Bask  in  the  promise  of  its  dawning  ray. 
And  bless  the  younger  hands  that  now  restore 
To  Ireland  all  that  he  once  gave  before  ! 

The  Henry  Grattan  thus  so  finely  described  was  the  son 
of  J.  Grattan,  M.P.  (Recorder  of  Dublin),  and  Mary  Marlay, 
daughter  of  Thomas   Marlay,    Chief    Justice   of  Ireland. 

217 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Dean  Marlay,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Waterford,  was  the 
owner  of  Celbridge  Abbey,  which  in  his  time  was  called 
Marlay  Abbey,  and  he  married  into  the  Grattan  family. 
Henry  Grattan,  second  son  of  the  patriot,  inherited  pro- 
perty in  Queen's  County,  which  had  been  voted  to  his 
famous  father  as  a  gift  by  the  Irish  Parliament  in  1782. 
He  was  buried  at  Celbridge  Abbey,  and  he  lived  there  with 
his  wife,  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey,  until  the  marriage  of  his 
eldest  daughter,  Henrietta,  to  Charles  Langdale,when  he  gave 
the  place  to  the  young  married  couple.  They  resided  there 
until  Mr.  Langdale's  father  died,  when  they  moved  to 
Houghton,  in  Yorkshire,  to  which  Charles  Langdale  suc- 
ceeded. Mrs.  Langdale  then  appointed  Sir  Gerald  Dease, 
youngest  brother  of  Edmond  Dease,  who  married  her  sister 
Mary,  as  her  agent  for  the  Irish  property,  and  let  him  the 
abbey  for  his  life,  with  the  pictures  of  Eclipse,  Marske  and 
Spiletta,  and  the  old  French  furniture  from  Cannons,  which 
Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey  had  brought  to  her  husband's  home. 
This  Sir  Gerald  Dease  married  the  sister  of  Sir  William 
Throckmorton,  and  at  his  death  the  abbey  passed  to  the 
Langdales  again,  and  Lady  Dease  lived  close  by.  I  have 
already  mentioned  that  when  Lady  Charles  Bunbury  {tide 
Lady  Sarah  Lennox)  was  divorced,  and  wished,  before  her 
marriage  with  Napier,  to  reside  near  her  sister.  Lady 
Louisa  Conolly,  of  Castletown,  and  the  Duchess  of 
Leinster,  she  built  Oakley  Park,  opposite  Celbridge  Abbey, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  road  ;  and  I  need  only  add  that  it 
was  from  the  sons  of  Henrietta  and  Louisa,  daughters  of 
the  Henry  Grattan  who  married  Mary  O'Kelly  Harvey,  that 
I  have  received  those  portions,  respectively,  of  the  O'Kelly 
papers  which  have  furnished  so  many  data  for  this  work. 

The  details  with  regard  to  the  Cannons  Estate,  which 
Dennis  O'Kelly  bequeathed  to  his  nephew,  I  have  placed  in 
the  Appendix,  and  they  will  be  found  to  contain  several 
interesting  facts  concerning  prices  at  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  the  value  of  property,  and  the  domestic 
appurtenances  considered  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  con- 
venience of  a  gentleman's  country  house.     In  the  Appendix 

218 


ANDREW  O'KELLY 

will  also  be  found  Andrew  O' Kelly's  vivid  description  of  the 
burial  of  Nelson,  together  with  the  diary  of  a  few  days  in 
his  London  life  at  the  beginning  of  1806. 

I  have  now  traced  the  O'Kelly  family  and  their  posses- 
sions down  to  the  present  time.  My  task  will  be  ended 
with  the  briefest  sketch  of  those  descendants  of  Eclipse 
which  have  chiefly  influenced  the  Modern  Turf. 


219 


CHAPTER  IX 

ECLIPSE'S  DESCENDANTS 

Corona  senum  filii  filiorum  et  gloria  filiorum  patres  eorum 

PotSos — Spearmint — Troutbeck — Touchstone — Flying  Fox — King  Fergus — 
Blacklock — Donovan — Emma — Lily  Agnes — Matchem — Record  Times — 
Record  Performances — Conclusion. 

OF  all  Eclipse s  sons  PotSos  seems  to  me  the  best 
looking.  He  combined  some  very  rare  qualities, 
for  he  was  not  only  handsome,  but  a  good  winner 
(thirty-five  out  of  forty-six  races  from  1776  to 
1783)  over  a  distance  of  ground,  and  a  most  successful  sire, 
for  he  begot  165  winners  of  ^^57,595,  the  best  of  whom  was 
IVaxy. 

PotSos  was  a  chestnut  with  a  white  snip  on  his  face,  bred 
by  Lord  Abingdon  in  1773,  out  of  Sportsmistress,  who 
traced  back  to  the  Ancaster  Tiirk.  By  the  kindness  of 
Mr.  G.  H.  Parsons,  who  discovered  the  original  painting  by 
Sartorius,  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  R.  C.  Blencoe,  I 
am  able  to  reproduce  here  the  only  portrait  I  have  ever  seen 
of  Waxy,  the  best  son  of  PotSos,  and  also  a  photograph  of 
one  of  IVaxys  racing  prizes,  which  contains  on  its  central 
medallion  a  reproduction  of  the  match  between  Gimcrack 
and  Bay  Malt  on  (1769),  portrayed  in  my  fourth  chapter. 

Waxy  was  a  bay  son  of  Maria  (by  Herod),  foaled  in 
1790.  Out  of  the  Duke  of  Grafton's  famous  raaxQ  Pntnella 
(by  High/Iyer)  he  got  Waxy  Pope,  Pledge  (dam  of  Tiresias) 
and  Pope  Joan  ;  and  out  of  Primellds  still  more  celebrated 
daughter  Penelope  (by  Trumpeter)  he  got  Whalebone  (1807), 

220 


S   £ 


ECLIPSES  DESCENDANTS 

IVed  (1808),  Woful  and  Whisker  (181 2).  Whalebone  was 
sire  of  two  Derby  winners  in  Lapdog  and  Spaniel,  and  an 
Oaks  winner  in  Caroline.  His  line  is  handed  down  by 
Camel,  Defence  and  Sir  Hercnles,  and  Camel  was  the  sire 
of  Totichstone.  This  brings  me  at  once  to  last  year's  (1906) 
Derby  winner,  Spearmint,  who  is  by  Carbine,  hy  Musket,  by 
Toxophilite,  by  Longbow,  by  Ithuriel,  by  Touchstone,  by 
Camel,  by  Whalebone,  by  Waxy,  by  Pottos,  by  Eclipse; 
and  the  interest  of  this  descent  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
Touchstone  blood  has  hitherto  been  most  successful  through 
Newminster  by  way  of  Hermit  and  Lord  Clifden ;  but  a 
striking  change  has  been  effected  by  the  Duke  of  Portland's 
importation  of  Cai'bine,  who  thus  reaches  the  height  of  his 
stud  fame  in  his  twenty-first  year.  Carbine  is  unquestion- 
ably the  most  popular  horse  that  ever  ran  on  the  Australian 
Turf,  and  was  brought  over  here  by  the  Duke  in  1895.  He 
was  bred  in  New  Zealand,  and  carried  10  st.  5  lb.  when  he 
won  the  Melbourne  Cup  in  a  field  of  thirty-nine.  His  sire 
Musket,  who  was  never  appreciated  in  England  at  the  stud, 
did  well  on  the  limestone  of  Australasia ;  and,  as  I  have 
pointed  out  in  my  earliest  chapters,  it  is  possible  that  his 
visit  to  those  far-off  pastures  benefited  his  son  Carbine  to  the 
extent  necessary  not  merely  to  win  races  in  Australia  but  also 
to  sire  a  Derby  winner  in  England.  It  may  almost  be  said 
that  Carbine  s  importation  introduced  a  new  line  of  Rclipse 
blood  ;  for  Ithuriel s  descendants  had  nearly  vanished,  and 
Petronel  was  never  really  successful  at  the  stud. 

Those  who  are  more  interested  in  mares  than  sires  will 
also  remember  that,  as  Mr.  Corlett  has  pointed  out,  Spear- 
mint is  full  of  Pocahontas  blood ;  for  Minting,  sire  of 
Maid  of  the  Mint,  is  grandson  of  Stockwell,  a  son  of 
Pocahontas ;  and  Warble,  dam  of  Maid  of  the  Mint,  is  by 
Skylark,  a  grandson  of  Pocahontas,  and  her  dam  also  was 
by  a  grandson  of  Pocahontas. 

Curiouslyenough,  it  isto  ToucJistone  also  that  the  St.  Leger 
winner  of  1906  traces  back,  for  the  Duke  of  Westminster's 
Troutbeck  is  the  first  living  foal  of  Rydal  Mount,  and 
happily   combines   the   blood    of    Hampton,   Rosicrucian, 

221 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Sf.  Simon  and  Benc^  Or;  and  he  adds  yet  further  to  the 
established  fame  of  the  great  Agnes  family,  for  his  dam  is 
by  St.  Serf,  out  of  Rydal  by  Bend  Or,  out  of  Windermere, 
by  Macaroni  out  of  Miss  Agnes  by  Birdcatcher.  Trout- 
beck's  sire  was  Ladas,  and  he  won  his  Leger  just  seventy- 
two  years  after  the  great  ancestor  whose  skeleton  is  kept  in 
honour  at  the  Eaton  Stud. 

Touchstone  never  began  well,  but  his  immense  speed 
soon  brought  him  up,  and  he  could  stay  for  ever.  Three  of 
his  sons,  Orlando,  Cotherstone  and  Sttrplice,  won  the  Derby  ; 
three  of  his  grandsons,  Teddington,  Musjid  and  Hermit ; 
and  seven  of  his  great-grandsons,  Pretender,  Shotover, 
St.  Blaise,  George  Frederick,  Merry  Hampton,  Ayrshire 
and  Ladas.  This  is  a  record  which  justifies  indeed  the  old 
description  of  his  blood  as  "  the  touchstone  of  merit"  ;  and 
it  must  be  remembered  also  that  in  1880  that  extraordinary 
mare  Kincsem  (who  was  by  Cambuscan,  by  Newminster,  by 
Touchstone)  was  sent  to  the  stud  after  running  in  fifty-four 
races  in  four  years,  over  every  kind  of  ground,  in  every 
weather,  at  any  distance,  and  was  never  beaten. 

I  mentioned  that  Camel,  Defence  and  Sir  Hercules  had 
chiefly  handed  on  Whalebone  s  blood.  Camel,  as  we  have 
seen,  would  be  justified  by  Touchstone  alone.  Defence  was 
sire  of  The  Emperor,  who  begat  Monarque,  who  begat 
Gladiateur  from  a  daughter  of  Gladiator  by  Partisan.  Sir 
Hercules  has  perhaps  been  the  most  famous  of  the  three, 
for  his  line  continues  to  Irish  Birdcatcher,  The  Baron  and 
Stockwell,  in  direct  male  descent  to  Doncaster,  Bend  Or, 
Ormonde,  Orme  and  Flying  Fox,  for  whom  M.  Edmund 
Blanc  gave  the  record  price  of  £39,2,']S  !  o^ie  of  the  most 
brilliant  pedigrees  on  the  English  Turf.  In  it  occurs  the 
famous  name  of  Stockwell,  a  chestnut  descendant  of  Eclipse, 
with  the  old  white  snip  on  his  face,  and  two  white  feet. 
He  was  a  son  of  the  celebrated  mare  Pocahontas,  and  was 
the  sire  of  Blair  Athol  and  Achievement,  besides  such 
good  ones  as  Regalia,  Lord  Lyon,  Doncaster,  Caller  Ou  and 
many  more,  who  won  the  Derby  three  times,  the  Oaks  once, 
and  no  less  than  six  St.  Legers.     Nor  must  I  forget  to  add 

222 


^^■^ 

Sf-        ~^^b 

■  ®    1 

^^B         ^^HRlln^^^^N. 

hmgf.                   IB.^ 

^^E                                                                            /    l^^^^^09i^^^^^^^^^^^V^^^^^ 

"'     1 

^ 

d 

ECLIPSES  DESCENDANTS 

that  Irish  Birdcatcher  further  strengthened  this  line  through 
his  son  Oxford,  who  begat  Sterling,  who  begat  Isonomy, 
the  sire  of  Isinglass,  winner  of  the  "  Triple  Crown"  of  1893, 
and  of  more  money  than  any  horse  except  Donovan. 

After  PoiSos  I  must  turn  to  another  chestnut  son  of 
Eclipse,  King  Fergus,  bred  from  Creeping  Polly  (by  Othello) 
in  1775.  One  of  his  sons  was  Beningbroiigh  (St.  Leger, 
1 794)  the  sire  of  Orville,  who  was  grandsire  of  the  Derby 
winners  Cadland  and  Little  Wonder,  and  sire  of  a  still 
better  Derby  winner  in  Emilitis  (brother  of  the  equally  suc- 
cessful Octavitts).  Two  sons  of  Emilius,  Priam  and 
Plenipotentiary,  were  Derby  winners  again,  and  three 
daughters  of  Priam  won  the  Oaks,  among  them  being  the 
speedy  Crucifix. 

Another  of  the  sons  of  King  Fergus  was  the  mighty 
Hambletonian,  out  of  a  HigJiflyer  mare,  who  won  the 
Leger  of  1795.  From  him,  through  IVhitelock,  came 
Blacklock  (his  dam  by  Coriander,  a  son  of  Pottos)  who  had 
Eclipse  s  ugly  head  and  transmitted  all  Eclipse  s  excellence 
to  Galopin,  sire  of  St.  Simon,  sire  of  the  King's  celebrated 
stallion  Persimmoit,  sire  of  Sceptre,  Zinfandel  and  Key- 
stone II.,  who,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  winning  list  of  1906,  with  the  16  winners  he  had 
produced  in  31  races  worth  ;,^2 1,752.  St.  Simon,  whose 
prowess  at  the  stud  I  have  already  mentioned,  stands  alone 
with  Stockwell  as  a  sire,  and  among  his  sons  and  grandsons 
are  such  Derby  winners  as  Persimmon,  Diamond  Jubilee, 
Volodyovski,  Ard  Patrick  and  St.  Amant,  to  whom  may 
be  added  Rock  Sand,  produced  by  his  beautiful  daughter 
Roquebrune.  His  granddaughter  Sceptre  fetched  the  record 
price  of  10,000  guineas  as  a  yearling.  To  Blacklock  also, 
through  Voltaire,  Voltigeur,  Vedette  and  Galopitt,  in  direct 
line  traces  the  Duke  of  Portland's  Donovan  (1886),  whose 
dam  was  Mowerina,  granddaughter  of  Stockwell  on  the 
dam's  side  and  great-granddaughter  of  Touchstone  through 
her  sire. 

Donovan,  who  died  in  1905,  won  more  money  in  stakes 
than  any  horse  in  the  history  of  the  Turf,  and  did   it  in 

223 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

only  two  years,  so  I  give  the  list  of  his  victories,  which  have 
been  very  kindly  sent  me  by  the  Duke  of  Portland. 


iason. 

Races  won. 

Value. 

Total. 

£ 

s. 

d. 

1888. 

Lincoln,  Brocklesby  Stakes 

1034 

15 

0 

Leicester,  Portland  Stakes 

6000 

0 

0 

Ascot,  New  Stakes     . 

1 169 

0 

0 

Bibury  Club,  Home-bred  Foal 

Stakes          .... 

475 

0 

0 

Stockbridge,    Hurstbourne 

Stakes         .... 

1250 

0 

0 

Newmarket,  July  Stakes    . 

1 120 

0 

0 

Goodwood,  Ham  Stakes   . 

700 

0 

0 

Newmarket,  Buckenham  Stakes 

900 

0 

0 

Do.         Hopeful  Stakes 

537 

0 

0 

Do.         Middle  Park  Plate  . 

2105 

0 

0 

Do.        Dewhurst  Plate 

1 197 

0 

0 

16487   15     0 

1889. 

Leicester,     Prince    of      Wales' 

Stakes          .... 

1 1000 

0 

0 

Newmarket  Stakes     . 

6000 

0 

0 

Epsom,  Derby  Stakes 

4050 

0 

0 

Ascot,  Prince  of  Wales'  Stakes 

2225 

0 

0 

Doncaster,  St.  Leger  Stakes 

4800 

0 

0 

Manchester,  Lancashire  Plate   . 

10131 

15 

0 

Newmarket,  Royal  Stakes 

460 

0 

0 

38666  15     0 

Total  winnings 

, 

a 

:£55I54  10     0 

The  strength  and  excellence  of  Eclipses  blood  are  particu- 
larly observable  in  three  pedigrees  :  \hose  oi Blacklock  (1814), 
Emma  (1824),  who  was  the  dam  of  Mowerina,  and  Lily 
Agnes  (1871),  who  was  the  dam  of  Ormonde.  Taking  the 
first,  we  find  that  both  the  sire  and  dam  of  Blacklock  are 
descended  in  direct  line  from  Eclipse  and  are  inbred  to  him, 
so  that  though  the  pedigree  shows  four  strains  of  both 
Eclipse  and  Herod,  it  is  the  former  that  predominates. 
Emma,  like  Blacklock,  is  descended  on  both  sides  in  direct 
line  from  Eclipse,  and  this  again  seems  to  have  been  of 
distinct   value,    as   she   has   only   two    strains   of  Eclipse 

224 


>5     5, 


ECLIPSE'S  DESCENDANTS 

against  five  of  Herod.  Lily  Agnes,  on  the  other  hand,  has 
nearly  fifty  strains  of  Eclipse,  several  of  them  coming 
through  the  same  channel,  notably  Blacklock.  It  would 
not  be  too  much  to  say  that  this  was  largely  the  cause  of 
the  extraordinary  excellence  of  Ormonde,  when  combined 
with  the  fact  that  his  sire  was  also  directly  descended  from 
Eclipse. 

A  few  more  genealogies  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix, 
bearing  on  the  same  point ;  and  I  would  particularly  direct 
attention  to  the  table  which  appears  there  for  the  first  time, 
and  was  drawn  up  for  me  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  A.  W. 
Coaten,  of  Horse  and  Hound,  in  order  to  analyse  the 
descent  of  all  the  winners  of  the  Derby  from  its  beginning 
until  1906.  I  have  mentioned  in  earlier  pages  the  striking 
result  arrived  at,  so  I  need  only  say  here  that  in  the  first 
fifty  years  Eclipse  could  score  23  winners,  in  the  second 
fifty  he  scored  33,  and  out  of  the  last  27  he  can  actually 
claim  all  except  one.  Lord  Rosebery's  Sir  Visto  (winner  in 
1895)  who  traces  through  Barcaldine  to  Matchem.  It  is 
perhaps  worthy  of  note  that  with  four  exceptions  all  the 
Derby  winners  since  the  race  began  trace  in  direct  male 
line  to  Eclipse,  Herod  or  Matchem;  but  it  is  still  more 
noticeable  \kv2X  Eclipse  alone  can  claim  82  out  of  the  122 
thus  divided,  and  that  he  had  a  struggle  at  the  beginning 
against  Herod,  which  is  the  most  convincing  proof  of  the 
fittest  having  survived,  for  in  the  first  fifty  years  Herod 
had  as  many  as  20  winners  to  his  23,  but  only  15  to  his  33 
in  his  second,  and  none  at  all  afterwards. 

The  four  exceptions  I  mentioned  are  in  themselves 
interesting,  for  Assassin  traces  to  Squirt,  the  grandsire  of 
Eclipse,  and  Sir  Thomas  to  Marske,  Eclipses  sire.  Only 
two  are  the  exceptions  by  which  Nature  proves  her  rule, 
for  Aimwell,  tracing  to  Spectator,  and  Hannibal,  tracing 
to  Trentham,  have  never  established  the  lines  they 
represent. 

The  only  winners  credited  to  Matchem  are  Didelot, 
Smolensko,  Tiresias,  West  Australian,  Blink  Bonny  and 
Sir  Visto ;  but  it  is  worth  noting  as  a  possible  sign  that 

225  p 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Matchem  is  not  yet  done  with,  that  Bachelor's  Btttton  has 
won  the  Gold  Cup  at  Ascot  in  record  time  in  1906.  Mr. 
Coaten  has  also  pointed  out  that  in  the  field  for  the  Derby 
of  1906,  out  of  twenty-two  runners,  eighteen  trace  to  Eclipse, 
including  the  first  four  in  the  race  ;  there  were  two  Herods  : 
Dingwall,  and  the  colt  by  Teufel  out  of  S lip  aw  ay ;  and 
two  Matchems :  Beppo  and  Malita,  both  sons  of  Marco. 
In  the  Oaks  all  twelve  of  the  mares  who  ran  trace  to 
Eclipse. 

One  more  instance  of  ''Eclipse  first  and  the  rest 
nowhere"  may  be  taken  in  the  "Triple  Crown"  winners 
of  the  fifty  years  following  West  Australian  in  1853. 
They  are  Gladiateur,  Lord  Lyon,  Ormonde,  Common, 
Isinglass,  Galtee  More,  Flying  Fox,  Diamond  Jubilee  and 
Rock  Sand.  It  is  no  doubt  a  great  test  of  excellence  for 
any  three-year-old  to  win  the  Two  Thousand,  the  Derby 
and  the  Leger  in  the  same  season  ;  and  I  quote  these 
nine  horses  because  it  will  be  seen  that  the  forty  years 
during  which  these  nine  direct  descendants  of  Eclipse 
achieved  this  feat  are  exactly  the  forty  years  during  which 
the  Eclipse  blood  has  established  itself  as  the  best  racing 
blood  in  the  world. 

It  will  be  well  to  conclude  with  a  word  about  pace. 
Comparisons  cannot  be  more  accurate  than  measurements, 
in  this  matter,  between  modern  flyers  and  the  cracks  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  But  the  "  mile  a  minute "  legend  is 
definitely  exploded,  at  any  rate ;  and  I  do  not  think  many 
more  of  the  "  times  "  recorded  in  old  days  are  worthy  of 
greater  credit.  I  have  read  that  Flying  Childers  did  3  miles 
6  fur.  93  yds.  at  Newmarket  in  6  min.  40  sec,  and  the  Beacon 
Course  in  7  min.  30  sec;  that  Filho  da  Puta  (after  falling  on 
his  knees  and  losing  fifty  yards)  did  four  miles  on  the  Rich- 
mond Course  in  7  min.  ;  and  I  do  not  believe  it,  even  on 
the  authority  of  a  "  Clerk  of  the  Course  "  in  the  Sporting 
Magazine  for  181 7.  Another  gentleman  says  in  the  same 
paper  that  Firetail  and  Punipkin  were  timed  with  all 
possible  correctness  and  ran  a  mile  at  Newmarket  in  some- 
what less  than  i  min.  15  sec.     This  is  even  more  improb- 

226 


ECLIPSES  DESCENDANTS 

able.  What  is  certain  is  that  ever  since  timing  has  been 
seriously  understood  and  reduced  to  a  fine  art,  the  pace  of 
our  racehorses  has  been  shown  to  be  steadily  increasing. 
There  is  not  the  least  doubt  that  no  eighteenth-century 
horse  could  live  with  them  at  the  distances  usually  run 
nowadays,  for  even  with  30  big  fences  to  jump,  and  carry- 
ing the  burden  of  12  st.  7  lb.,  Cloister  dxd  4^  miles  in  9  min. 
42f  sec.  when  he  won  the  Grand  National  of  1893  by  forty 
lengths.  The  improvement  is  particularly  noticeable  in 
1906,  which  produced  three  records  in  distances  from  i^  to 
2^  miles  : 

1906.     Derby  (i  mile  4  fur.  29  yards)  Spearmint       .         .         2.36!^ 
Ascot  Gold  Clip  (2|  miles)  Bachelor's  Button  .         ■^•'^Sr 

St.  Leger  (i  mile  6  fur.  132  yards)  Troutbeck  .        .        3.4-1- 

It  should  be  added  that  the  fastest  time  ever  done  over 
the  Derby  Course  was  when  Pretty  Polly  won  the  Coro- 
nation Cup  in  1905,  in  2  min.  33I  sec. 

Now  this  does  not  look  much  like  degeneration  ;  and 
when  I  add  the  records  for  other  distances  it  will  be  seen 
that  nearly  all  are  quite  recent,  or  within  the  last  decade. 

To  complete  the  "  classical  "  races  we  have  : 

1905.  Oaks  (Derby  Course)  Cherry  Lass  .         .         .        2.38 

1906.  ,,  „  Keystone  IF.  ...         2.38! 

It  should  also  be  added  that  Bachelor  s  Button  only 
beat  Zinfandel's  time  for  the  Ascot  Gold  Cup  by  two- 
fifths  of  a  second,  and  that  Zinfandel  holds  the  record 
for  the  longer  course  of  the  Alexandra  Plate  (2  miles 
6  fur.  85  yds.)  with  5  min.  5  sec,  a  time  which  is 
quite  enough  alone  to  disprove  the  legends  of  the  Beacon 
Course  current  in  the  eighteenth  century,  for  the  pace  has 
improved  all  round  in  modern  horses  at  a  rate  of  about 
two  seconds  in  every  ten  years,  a  rate  which  cannot  be 
expected,  of  course,  to  continue.  1  give  below  the  records 
for  various  distances  in  England  : 

227 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Five  Furlongs. 

Apr.  21,  1903.     Great  Surrey   H'cap,   Epsom.     Master 

Willie S6| 

May  27,  1903.     Ranmore  Plate,  Epsom.     Blue  Diamond  56^ 

May  29,  1903.     Walton  Plate,  Epsom.     Le  Buff     ■         .  56f 

Six  Furlongs. 
June  6,  190 1.      Royal  Stakes,  Epsom.     Master  Willie     .  97^ 

One  Mile. 
July  13,  1900.     Lingfield  Park  Stakes.  Caiman  (Amevic3in 

bred) i-33i 

[Straight :  first  half  a  fall  of  i  in  76  ;  second,  i  in  200.] 

Rowley  Mile,  Newmarket. 

1902.    Two  Thousand  Guineas.     Sceptre  .         ■         ■         1.39 

1897.     Two  Thousand  Guineas.     Galtee  More  .         .         i-4of 

Mile  and  a  Quarter, 

Aug.  3,  1904.     Brighton  Cup.     Housewife        .        .         .  2.11- 
Mile  and  a  Half. 

June  16, 1905.     Manchester  Cup.     Airship        .         .         .  2.^0^ 

May  20,  1904.     Chesterfield  H'cp.,  Doncaster.    Roseburn  2.30! 

Sep.  13,  1900.     Alexandra  Plate,  Doncaster.     Avidity     .  2.30^ 

May  27,  1901.     Great  Whitsun  H'cp.,  Hurst  Park.  Santoi  2.31 

Sep.  22,  1900.     Sept.  H'cp.    Hurst  Park.    King's  Courier  2.3if 

Mile  and  a  Half  and  29  Yards. 

1905.  Coronation  Cup,  Epsom.    Pretty  Polly  .         .        2.33f 

1906.  Derby,  Epsom.    Spearmint  ....         2.364- 

1905.  Oaks,  Epsom.     Cherry  Lass  ....         2.38 

Mile  and  Three-quarters. 
June  7,  1895.     Manchester  Cup.    Florizel  II.  .        ■        2.59^ 

Mile  and  Three-quarters  and  132  Yards. 

1906.  Doncaster  St.  Leger.     Trontbeck  ....        3.4r 

228 


(UP  \V<lX  BY  WAXY  AXl)  EXGRAVEI)  WITH  THE  MATCH 
BETWEEX   GIMCRACK  AXD  BAY  JFALTOX 

From    (I  pliotof/irtph   hii    Mr.    I'ltr.^i  /t.-;    t>/  Al.ou.er 


ECLIPSE'S  DESCENDANTS 

TwQ-MiLE  Steeplechase. 
Mar,  6,  1906.     New  Century  Steeple,  Keinpton.   Oatlands        3.54 

Two  Miles  and  a  Half. 

1906.     Ascot  Gold  Cup.      Bachelor's  Button      .         .         .  4.23^ 

1905.  „             „               Zinfandel           ....  4.23^ 
1902.         „             „               William  the  Third     .         .         .  4.32 

Two  Miles  and  Three-quarters  and  85  Yards. 

1904.  Alexandra  Plate,  Ascot.      Zinfandel      ...         5.5 

1906.  „  „  „  Haniinerkop  .         .         .         5.8f 

1905.  „  „  „  Hamvierkop  .         .         .         5.12! 

Four  Miles  and  856  Yards. 
(Steeplechase  over  Thirty  Fences.) 

1906.  Liverpool  Grand  National.  Ascetic's  Silver  (10  st.  9)         9.34t 
1893.  „  „  „  Cloister  {12  St  J)  .         9.42I 


It  has  therefore  been  demonstrated,  by  the  details  given 
above,  that  in  the  years  when  Eclipse  blood  became 
thoroughly  established  on  the  English  Turf,  roughly  in 
the  last  two  decades,  the  direct  descendants  of  Eclipse  hold 
the  following  very  extraordinary  list  of  records  : 

(i)  Donovan  and  Isinglass  have  won  most  money  in  stakes  of  any  horse 
in  training. 

(2)  Stockwell  and  St.  Simon  have  produced  more  winning  stock  than 

any  sire  at  the  stud. 

(3)  Nine  out  of  ten  winners  of  the  "  Triple  Crown." 

(4)  Eighty-two  out  of  127  Derby  winners. 

(5)  The  highest  price  at  public  auction  ever   given  for  a  racehorse 

(^39>375  for  Flying  Fox). 

(6)  The  highest  price  ever  paid  for  a  yearling  {Sceptre). 

(■j)  The  record  times  for  the  Two  Thousand  (1902),  Derby  (1906)  and 
St.  Leger  (1906). 

It  would  be  difficult  to  produce  better  proof  than  this 
of   the  good  done  to  thoroughbred  stock  by  Eclipse,  and  it 

229 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

is  needless  to  add  that  no  other  single  animal  has  ever  been 
the  direct  cause  of  so  much  money  changing  hands.  If 
this  were  the  right  place,  and  I  had  the  time,  the  value  of 
the  blood  might  be  traced  outside  of  England  and  all  over 
the  world.  The  best  horses  on  the  French  Turf  are  sons 
of  Flying  Fox.  Sysonby,  the  best  in  the  United  States, 
was  by  Melton  out  of  a  daughter  of  Bend  Or,  all  three  as 
directly  descended  from  Eclipse  as  Flying  Fox.  It  is  the 
same  everywhere  else ;  and  now  the  unworthy  possibility 
of  a  gelding  winning  the  Derby  has  been  definitely  removed 
we  may  look  forward  to  the  continued  strengthening  of  the 
Eclipse  lines  through  Galopin,  Sterling,  Bend  Or  and 
Hampton  in  the  future. 

I  think  this  position  has  been  reached  as  much  through 
natural  causes  and  natural  laws  as  by  any  conscious  fads  of 
fashion  or  deliberate  theories  of  breeding  ;  and  it  may  be 
as  well  to  realise  that,  if  we  wish  to  breed  the  best,  it  will  be 
by  assisting  those  laws  to  operate,  rather  than  by  imposing 
artificial  conditions  of  our  own,  that  we  are  likely  to  succeed. 


230 


POTSOS  iliY  ECLIPSE) 

From  the  t'lff/niriiig  in  Ifif  pussi'ssitin  of  Mr.   Souo-rriUr   Tott'i-sal/ 


HIS  MAJESTY  THE   KINGS   PERSIMMON  A   DIRECT 
DESCENDANT  OF   ECLIPSE 

From  the  phutogniph  bi/  Mr.    G.  H.  I'arsotis  of  AJsuger,  1906 


APPENDICES 


APPENDIX    A 

THE  ADVENTURE  OF  THE  SEDAN-CHAIR 

During  the  crowd  at  a  reception  on  King  George  1 1. 's  birthday 
about  1750,  the  sedan-chairmen  were  charging  a  guinea  to  carry 
ladies  from  the  top  of  St.  James's  Street  to  the  Palace.  Lady 
Blank's  chariot  had  been  unable  for  some  time  to  proceed  either 
forward  or  backward  ;  and  it  was  O' Kelly,  with  his  sedan-chair,  who 
came  to  her  rescue.     The  Memoirs  describe  the  result,  as  follows  : 

In  helping  her  from  her  carriage  and  dispersing  the  crowd  of  surrounding 
gapers,  Dennis  acted  with  such  powers  and  magnanimity  that  her  ladyship 
conceived  him  to  be  a  regeneration  of  Hercules  or  Hector  ;  and  her  opinion 
was  by  no  means  altered  when  she  beheld  the  powerful  elasticity  of  his  muscular 
motions  on  the  way  to  the  Royal  residence.  Dennis  touched  her  ladyship's 
guinea,  and  bowed  in  return  for  a  bewitching  smile  which  accompanied  it.  The 
fatigues  of  this  propitious  day  being  over,  he  could  begin  to  ruminate  upon  the 
profits,  but  more  upon  the  smile — which,  in  fact,  was  given  with  such  energy  and 
meaning  as  to  penetrate  both  head  and  heart ;  but  what  specific  construction  to 
form  on  the  matter  he  was  utterly  at  a  loss  for.  Had  he  been  acquainted  with 
the  delicacies  and  refinements  of  high  life,  he  would  have  known  better.  In  a 
little  time,  however,  the  mistery  was  explained.  The  very  next  evening,  as  he 
was  standing  near  the  door  of  White's  Chocolate-house,  he  was  accosted  by  an 
elderly  woman,  who  asked  him  the  way  to  Bolton  Row,  and  at  the  same  time 
offered  him  a  shilling  to  conduct  her,  as  she  was  quite  a  stranger.  Dennis, 
who  knew  every  place,  immediately  accepted  the  offer.  They  arrived  at  the 
house  described,  and  he  was  asked  in  to  drink  something,  the  weather  being 
extremely  cold.  An  agreeable  young  woman,  mistress  of  the  house,  who  had 
been  formerly  chamber-maid  at  a  noted  Inn  in  Hounslow,  opened  the  door, 
and  received  the  stranger  in  town  with  great  cordiality  and  friendship.  "  Do 
you  know,"  said  she,  addressing  herself  to  our  Hero,  "  of  any  Chairman  who 
wants  a  good  place  ?  "  "  Yes,  Madam,"  answered  Dennis,  "  an'  that  I  do  :  I 
should  be  very  glad  to  be  after  recommending  myself,  because  I  know  myself, 
and  love  myself  better  than  any  one  else."     "  Why  then,  if  you  will  go  to  Lady 

233 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Blank  in  Hanover  Square,  to-morrow  morning,  I  tliink  you  will  be  hired  ;  you 
need  mention  no  name,  but  say  you  heard  of  the  place  accidentally."  "  Bless 
you,"  replied  Dennis,  who,  tossing  off  his  bumper  of  stout  brandy,  retired.  The 
next  morning  our  Hero  dressed  himself  to  the  best  advantage,  and  repaired  to 
Hanover  Square,  where,  after  making  proper  enquiries,  and  being  introduced 
to  the  house  steward,  he  was  hired  at  the  rate  of  thirty  pound  a  year. 

The  next  day  our  Hero  was  kept  constantly  employed  in  messages  to  Mantua- 
makers,  Milliners,  Perfumers,  Hair-dressers,  &c.,  and,  among  others,  he  was 
ordered  to  deliver  a  small  parcel  in  Bolton  Row,  the  identical  house  from  whence 
he  received  his  recommendation,  and  to  wait  until  he  received  an  answer ;  there 
he  was  shown  into  a  back  parlour,  warmed  by  a  prodigious  fire,  and  lighted 
with  four  wax  candles.  To  divert  /he  tedious  time,  a  tankard  of  mulled  wine 
was  presented  him,  and  the  female,  from  whom  he  received  it,  informed  him, 
her  mistress  was  not  expected  home  for  some  time  :  she  had,  however,  ordered 
her  to  take  care  of  him,  and  she  was  very  happy  in  his  company ;  she  was,  she 
said,  much  alarmed  at  being  alone.  Dennis,  who  never  missed  an  opportunity 
of  kissing  a  pretty  girl,  and  improving  upon  female  condescensions,  and  in 
whom,  the  warm  room  and  hot  wine  began  to  work  with  extraordinary  emotion, 

rephed,  that  " he  was  equally  happy  and  wished  to  be  more  so,"  at  the 

same  moment  raising  up  her  modest  downcast  countenance.  Who,  in  the  name 
of  wonder  and  delight  did  he  behold,  but  Lady  Blank  herself  ! 


234 


APPENDIX   B 


THE  ADVENTURE  OF  THE  YORKSHIRE  INN 

TOGETHER  WITH  THE  AFFAIR  OF  DICK  ENGLAND 
AND  THE  MATTER  OF  DUNGANNON 

After  the  races  at  York  in  1770,  the  successes  oi  Eclipse  no  doubt 
inspired  a  very  excusable  conviviality  in  Dennis  O'Kelly.  Un- 
luckily, matters  went  rather  too  far,  and  an  incident  occurred  which 
involved  a  good  round  sum  of  money  before  it  was  settled.  The 
Memoirs  give  an  account  of  what  happened  in  their  usual  eloquent 
and  flowery  language  : 

In  direct  opposition  to  the  fate  of  a  celebrated  and  unfortunate  states-man, 
it  was  the  Count's  lot  always  to  occupy  the  best  inn's  best  rooms,  and  to  sleep  in 
the  softest  and  most  sumptuous  bed.  Having,  as  usual,  secured  an  apartment, 
and  a  bed  of  this  description,  and  having  had  three  nights'  peaceable  occupation, 
it  could  never  enter  his  thoughts  that  any  person,  Male  or  Female,  would 
attempt  disturbing  his  possessions.  However,  it  so  happened,  that  on  the 
fourth  night,  after  drinking  freely,  and  enjoying  much  conviviality,  he  took  what 
is  commonly  called  French  leave  of  his  companions,  and  going  softly  to  his 
chamber,  found  the  door  fastened  ;  whether  locked,  or  but  slightly  bolted,  we 
cannot  positively  afifirm  ;  but,  it  was  in  such  a  situation,  as  to  be  opened  with 
little  difficulty.  An  extinguished  candle  stood  on  a  chair  by  the  bed,  which 
was  closed  all  round,  naturally  excited  no  small  degree  of  wonder ;  curiosity 
was  incidental.  The  Count  gently  drawing  back  the  silken  curtain  to  his 
astonishment  and  delight,  beheld  a  most  enchanting  female  countenance  ! 

The  contemporary  Press  were  not  slow  to  take  up  an  adventure 
which  promised  so  much  interest — if  not  excitement — in  the  society 
circles  of  the  North ;  and  the  following  letter  appeared  soon 
afterwards  : 

235 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

To  the  Printer  of  the  Town  and  Country  Magazine. 
SIR, 

As  an  affair  which  happened  at  the  end  of  last  month  at  York  has  made  a  great 
noise,  and  as  the  principal  character  is  likely  to  make  a  still  greater,  the  particulars 
of  this  transaction  will,  doubtless,  be  agreeable  to  your  curious  readers. 

The  renowned  Count  K.,  proprietor  of  the  celebrated  horse  Ec — se,  being 
at  York  races,  had  engaged  a  room  at  the  principal  inn,  to  which  by  some 
mistake  a  young  lady,  daughter  to  a  Roman-catholic  baronet  in  that  county,  had 
been  admitted.  The  count  was  that  evening  amusing  himself  with  a  few  friends 
at  the  coffee-house,  at  that  innocent  and  amusing  diversion  called  hasard,  which 
engaged  him  till  near  three  in  the  morning.  Upon  his  return  finding  his 
chamber-door  locked,  he  forced  it  open,  and  meeting  with  so  agreeable  an 
inmate,  he  begged  that  he  might  not  interrupt  her.  The  lady,  instead  of 
consenting  to  this  proposal,  flew  out  of  the  room,  lightly  attired  as  she  was,  and 
ran  along  the  gallery,  crying  out  for  help,  whilst  the  count  pursued  her.  This 
alarmed  the  other  lodgers,  who  presently  came  to  her  relief,  when  the  hero 
thought  proper  to  make  a  retreat,  and  barricadoed  himself  in  his  room.  This 
did  but  more  incense  the  lady's  friends,  who  immediately  broke  open  the  door, 
and  secured  him.  A  prosecution  was  commenced,  which  the  count,  however, 
found  means  to  avert  by  the  judicious  application  of  a  large  sum  of  money. 
(The  Count  has  since  begged  pardon  in  the  public  papers  of  the  Lady  for  the 
insult,  and  given  five  hundred  pounds,  to  be  disposed  of  for  such  charitable 
purposes  as  she  shall  direct.)  Upon  this  occasion  he  received  the  following 
curious  billet  from  Santa  Charlotta,  alias  Miss  Charlotte  H-y-s,  his  trusty  friend 
and  mistress  in  London. 

SIR, 

Your  behaviour  at  York,  which  is  in  every  body's  mouth,  so  strongly  merits 
my  resentment,  that  the  condescension  of  writing  to  you  is  more  than  you 
ought  to  expect.  After  the  many  repeated  vows  you  have  made,  and  oaths  you 
have  sworn,  that  I,  and  I  alone,  was  the  idol  of  your  heart,  could  so  short  an 
absence  entirely  efface  me  from  your  remembrance  ?  and  was  I  to  be  abandoned 
for  the  accidental  rencounter  of  a  new  face  ? 

Oh  !  Dennis,  are  my  charms  so  faded,  my  beauty  so  decayed,  my  under- 
standing so  impaired,  which  you  have  so  often  and  so  highly  praised,  as  to 
destroy  all  the  impressions  you  pretended  they  had  made  upon  you  !  but  if  love 
has  entirely  subsided,  surely  gratitude  might  have  pleaded  so  strongly  in  my 
behalf  as  to  have  excluded  all  other  females  from  your  affections.  Remember 
when  in  the  Fleet,  when  famine  stared  you  in  the  face,  and  wretched  tatters 
scarce  covered  your  nakedness — I  fed,  cloathed,  and  made  a  gentleman  of  you. 
Remember  the  day-rules  I  obtained  for  you — remember  the  sums  you  won 
through  that  means — then  remember  me. 

But  why  do  1  talk  of  love  or  gratitude  ? — let  interest  plead,  the  most 
powerful  reason  that  will  operate  on  you.  What  a  wretch  ! — to  fling  away  in  a 
drunken  frolic — in  the  ridiculous  attempt  of  an  amour — more  money,  aye  far 
more  money,  than  even  your  horse  Ec — se,  with  all  his  superior  agility,  has  run 
away  with  in  a  whole  season. 

Marlborough-street,  Your  most  disconsolate, 

Sept.  4.  Charlotte  H-v-s. 

236 


APPENDIX  B 

It  was  not  likely  that  the  reputation  oi  Eclipses  owner  would  be 
improved  by  escapades  of  this  kind  among  the   men  whose  horses 
Eclipse  was  invariably  beating  ;  and  another  notorious  fracas,  which 
again  involved  "  the  law,"  must  have  still  further  blackened  O'Kelly's 
character,    this  time  in  the  South  as  well.      It  is    somewhat  to  his 
credit  that  he  should  have  quarrelled  with  that  burly  blackguard, 
Dick   England,   soon  after   his  return   from  York  ;  but   what  men 
remember  in  cases  of  this  kind  is  rather  the  mere  fact  of  association, 
and  draw   their  own  conclusions.     O'Kelly  was   dining  at  Medley's 
Coffee  House  one  afternoon,  when  a  dispute  was  engineered  between 
him  and  another   guest.     At  the    sound  of    the    altercation    Dick 
England,  who  was  waiting  below,  dashed  up,  and  with  his  cudgel 
so  severely  belaboured    O'Kelly,  who  was  lamed   by  an  attack  of 
the  gout,  that  the  Irishman  had  to  be  taken  to  bed  on  the  spot.     A 
lawsuit  was  begun   at  once,  before  a  special  jury  in  the   Court  of 
King's  Bench  ;  but  though  the  assault  was  clearly  established.  Lord 
Mansfield's  summing  up  resulted  in  damages  for  the  ridiculous  sum 
of  one  shilling.     This  cannot  have  done  O'Kelly  any  good.     What- 
ever the  rights  of  the  case  may  have  been,  it  is  clear  Lord  Mansfield 
was  sometimes  very  worried  by  rascals  on  the  Turf  who  took  to 
litigation.      His  adjuration  to  one   especially  annoying  set  is  still 
remembered  : 

"  What  a  Godalmighty's  name,  gentlemen.  Will  you  never  have 
done  running  this  Copperbottom  ^  Ha  !"  The  horse  referred  to 
may  have  been  Lord  Rockingham's  b.  h.  Copperbottom,  by  Tantrum, 
who  was  second  in  1781  for  the  Doncaster  Cup,  5  years,  8st.  3lbs. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  find  much  against  O'Kelly  as  far  as  his 
actual  racing  transactions  go ;  but  there  is  the  episode  about 
Dungannon  (by  Eclipse)  which  needs  some  explanation  ;  or  perhaps 
it  shows  that  when  he  was  not  racing  with  a  Prince  of  the  Blood, 
or  a  "gentleman  who  mattered,"  he  was  not  invariably  either 
scrupulous  or  prudent.  The  Memoirs  describe  what  happened  as 
follows  : 

The  importance  of  Colonel  O'Kelly  on  the  turf,  seemed  for  a  time,  to  increase 
daily.  His  opinion  became  more  and  more  authoritative,  and  his  company 
more  and  more  solicited,  in  short  he  was  regarded  as  the  oracle  of  his  profession. 
Our  illustrious  and  all  accomplished  heir  apparent  was  among  the  number  of 
those  who  admired   his  knowledge,  and  condescended  to  make  a  match  with 

237 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

him  in  favour  of  the  famous  horse  Rockingham,  against  the  no  less  famous 
Duncannon,  son  to  Eclipse,  and  O'Kelly's  first  favourite.  The  immediate  bett 
was  one  thousand  guineas,  but,  it  is  said,  and  universally  admitted,  that  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  were  depending  upon  the  event.  The  ease  with 
which  Duncannon  won  this  important  match,  nearly  involved  him  in  the  same 
misfortune  which  we  have  already  noticed,  when  speaking  of  the  Manoeuvre 
practised  upon  Eclipse. 

In  a  short  period  after  this  victory  of  Duncannon,  the  shameful  parsimony  ot 
a  close-fisted  and  narrow-minded  minister,  gave  the  Prince  of  Wales  a  glorious 
occasion  of  displaying  his  heroic  honesty.  The  facts  are  too  well  known,  and 
the  Prince's  conduct  too  universally  admired  to  need  repetition  or  applause. 
Among  other  expedients  for  the  relief  of  his  distressed  tradesmen,  the  royal 
studd,  though  an  object  so  alluring  to  a  young  and  elevated  mind,  was 
cheerfully  disposed  of,  and,  with  the  other  sacrifices  to  ministerial  penury, 
Rockingham,  the  favourite  of  his  Royal  owner,  was  knocked  down  by  the 
hammer  of  Tattersal,  for  a  sum  very  far  inadequate  to  his  worth.  Bullock,  who, 
with  Colonel  O'Kelly,  always  appeared  in  the  van  of  horse  racing,  made  the 
purchase,  and  in  some  time  afterwards  challenged  him  to  a  second  trial  of 
Duncannon's  speed.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  a  day  accordingly 
appointed  for  the  contest.  Betts  were  equal  to  the  former,  and  the  ground  as 
much  thronged;  when,  lo  !  to  the  disappointment  and  indignation  of  every  one 
present,  and  the  disapprobation  of  all  who  heard  of  the  transaction,  at  the 
moment  when  the  start  was  expected,  the  Colonel  arrived ;  and,  after  looking 
for  some  time  at  Duncannon,  who  was  then  near  the  post,  ordered  him  to  be 
led  off  the  course.  The  confusion  occasioned  by  this  unexpected  procedure 
can  better  be  imagined  than  expressed  ;  the  Count  was  execrated  in  all  quarters, 
and,  it  is  thought,  if  he  had  not  avoided  danger,  by  a  judicious  retreat,  he 
would  have  experienced  the  severest  resentment  of  the  multitude." 

It  is  worth  remembering  that  the  Rockingham  mentioned  above 
had  originally  been  bought  by  the  Prince  from  Mr.  John  Pratt  of 
Askrigg,  whose  epitaph  records  that  honourable  incident  in  the 
annals  of  his  successful  stud. 


238 


APPENDIX  C 

THE  MILITIA 

The  regiment  in  which  O' Kelly  rose  to  the  rank  of  Colonel  is  thus 
described  in  the  contemporary  Memoirs  : 

About' the  year  1760,  when  the  mihtia  was  first  settled  upon  its  present 
establishment,  the  county  of  Middlesex,  to  its  disgrace,  was  extremely  back- 
ward in  raising  their  proportion  of  national  defence.  The  city  of  Westminster 
had  not  taken  a  single  step  towards  a  measure  so  necessary  and  patriotic,  at  a 
time  when  the  regiments  of  other  counties  were  fit  for  actual  service.  A  well- 
known  military,  turbulent  Scot,  whose  family  had  been  active  in  the  RebeUion 
of  1745,  and  had  suffered  much  in  the  Stewart  cause,  conceiving  this  to  be  a 
good  opportunity  of  filling  his  pocket,  and  retrieving  his  lost  honours,  set  about 
raising  a  regiment  in  Westminster,  and  with  such  activity  and  zeal  did  this  bold 
bustling  North  Briton  proceed  in  the  business,  that  Government  noticed  his 
exertions,  and  promised  to  establish  the  regiment  so  soon  as  three-fourths  of 
the  commissions  should  be  filled  up.  This  was,  however,  a  more  arduous 
and  difficult  matter,  than  was  at  first  conceived.  The  military  mania,  did 
not,  at  that  time  rage,  as  was  the  case  during  the  last  war,  and  many  of 
the  more  respectable  corps  remained  unofficered ;  what  must  be  the  supposed 
situation  of  this  band  of  illustrious  City  Mermidions  !  The  indefatigable 
energy,  however,  with  which  the  undaunted  Scot  proceeded,  was  not  to  be 
repelled.  He  ransacked  the  town  and  its  vicinities,  holding  out  commis- 
sions indiscriminately  ;  .  .  .  among  the  motley  group,  our  Hero  stood  conspi- 
cuous, as  an  Ensign,  from  which  station  he  rose  by  regular  gradations,  and  with 
a  regular  good  character,  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

The  compliment  of  commissions,  being  at  length  filled  up,  MacGregor,  for 
such  was  the  name  of  the  Caledonian  adventurer,  attained  his  point.  It  was 
called  the  Westminster  Regiment  of  Middlesex  Militia,  and  MacGregor  was 
appointed  Adjutant,  the  only  lucrative  situation  in  the  corps.  In  a  short  time 
after  he  contrived  to  be  appointed  Captain,  and  was,  in  fact  everything  in  the 
regiment,  from  Serjeant  to  Colonel.  Commissions  and  halberts  were  sold,  like 
any  other  marketable  commodities.   .   .  . 

.  .  .  Our  Readers  will  naturally  wonder,  that  a  man  of  title,  rank,  fortune, 
and  character,  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  take  any  command  in  the  West- 

239 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

minster  division  of  Middlesex  Militia;  yet,  wonderful  to  relate,  Sir  Thomas 
Frederick,  a  gentleman  possessing  all  those  claims,  was  bold  enough,  in  a 
moment  of  seduction  and  conviviality  to  take  the  command ;  and  no  less  a 
respectable  a  character,  than  Sir  John  Gibbons,  inveigled  by  a  precedent  so 
distinguished,  accepted  the  Lieutenant  Colonelcy.  The  difference  of  situation 
between  those  gentlemen  and  the  other  officers  was  truly  remarkable  and 
ludicrous.  Lamb,  the  Major,  (not  the  Lamb  immortalized  by  Foote)  was  a 
common  mechanic,  we  believe,  a  watch-maker ;  and  the  Captains  and  Subalterns 
were,  in  general,  really  so  low  and  obscure,  as  to  be  beneath  the  level  of 
contempt  or  observation.  .  .  . 

...  It  was  not  long  before  our  Hero  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  Captain. 
This  station  he  considered  but  as  merely  convenient  to  a  vanity  which  could  be  by 
no  means  condemned.  It  not  only  gave  him  a  real  denomination,  but  the 
additions  of  a  gentleman,  and  it  was  with  that  view,  and  no  other,  he  con- 
descended to  sustain  it.  Upon  every  occasion  he  was  seen  at  the  head  of  the 
Grenadier  Company ;  and  it  is  but  justice  to  observe,  that  he  bore  the  most 
soldierly  appearance  of  any  officer  in  the  regiment.  Of  discipline  he  was,  at 
this  time,  totally  ignorant,  and  whenever  he  attempted  to  perform  the  most 
trifling  evolution,  he  betrayed  an  awkwardness,  that  immediately  discovered  his 
general  deficiency.  In  support  of  that  superior  personal  aspect,  which  he 
always  maintained,  he  vras  constantly  attended  by  an  expensive  retinue, 
carriages,  &c.,  and  Charlotte,  who  travelled  in  the  rear  of  his  company,  with 
her  separate  suite. 

The  officer  next  in  rotation,  was  the  redoubted  Gregor  MacGregor,  by  whose 
activity  the  regiment  was  originally  raised.  From  its  establishment  to  this 
period,  he  held  the  post  of  Adjutant.  He  was  a  pupil  of  the  old  military 
school,  and  as  far  as  ancient  prejudices  would  admit,  knew  what  he  was  about, 
but  growing  unfit  for  the  activity  of  his  station,  he  was  permitted  to  dispose  of 
it.  for  about  one  thousand  guineas,  and  remained  as  a  nominal  Captain  in  the 
regiment. 

I  will  add,  for  the  sake  of  abridgment,  that  the  third  captain 
was  a  tea-dealer ;  the  fourth  a  tailor  ;  the  fifth  a  boatswain's  mate, 
who  had  bought  an  ale-house  with  the  prize-money  he  got  in  the 
navy,  and  now  enjoyed  a  considerable  reputation  in  the  neighbour- 
hood as  being  able  to  sign  his  name  with  a  professional  flourish  ; 
and  the  youngest,  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Hundeshagen,  was  a 
crippled  and  bald-headed  Dutchman.  In  spite  of  all  this,  at  Ply- 
mouth, where  many  regiments  were  well-nigh  useless  from  insubor- 
dination, the  Westminster  Militia  set  an  example  of  steadiness  and 
alacrity  at  a  time  when  "  the  fleets  of  France  and  Spain  were  seen 
hovering  at  an  inconsiderable  distance  from  the  shore."  They 
marched  on  to  Cornwall,  from  Cornwall  back  to  Chatham,  and  took 
in  all  about  five  years  to  complete  a  circuit  which  led  them  home,  by 

way  of  Lancaster,  to  London. 

240 


APPENDIX  C 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  O'Kelly  invariably  accompanied 
them.  But  he  always  made  his  presence  felt,  and  was  soon  recog- 
nised as  the  only  man  of  his  hands  and  feet  in  the  officers'  mess. 
His  name  appears  in  a  public  petition  to  the  Lord- Lieutenant, 
asking  that  certain  of  them,  whose  incapable  poltroonery  had 
become  more  insupportable  than  usual,  should  be  removed.  The 
Lord- Lieutenant  paid  no  notice,  preferring  to  leave  the  regiment  to 
the  natural  processes  of  decay.  In  due  course  O'Kelly  obtained  his 
promotion  as  Major,  and  "  the  pre-eminence  which  he  had  heretofore 
derived  from  money,  splendour  and  spirit,  was  now  established  by 
rank."  But  the  astonishing  thing  is  that  his  innate  capacity  for 
action  enabled  him  actually  "to  exercise  the  regiment  several  times 
before  His  Majesty  and  a  number  of  general  officers,  to  their  entire 
satisfaction."  No  doubt  this  was  a  prelude  to  that  Lieutenant- 
Colonelcy  which  O'Kelly  celebrated  by  "a  splendid  entertainment, 
at  which  Lord  Derby  and  several  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of 
Lancashire  were  present." 


241 


APPENDIX   D 

"L'AFFAIRE  ROCHFORT" 

From  various  manuscript  memoranda  now  possessed  by  collateral 
descendants  of  Dennis  O'Kelly,  it  appears  that  an  officer  of  his 
acquaintance,  named  Rowland  Rochfort,  had  borrowed  ready  money 
(including  a  note  of  hand  for  ^50)  from  his  sister,  Mary  Rochfort,  in 
Dublin  in  1 775  and  1777.  Desiring  both  to  repay  this  and  to  provide 
his  own  necessities,  he  handed  Dennis  a  note  of  hand  for  a  thousand 
guineas,  signed  by  H.  F.  Calcraft,  from  the  proceeds  of  which 
Dennis  was  to  realise  what  was  wanted.  When,  however,  Rochfort 
demanded  the  money,  O'Kelly  refused  to  pay  the  balance  of  this 
;^iooo  left  after  Mary  Rochfort's  ;^50  and  her  brother's  personal 
debts  had  been  deducted;  and,  since  Rochfort  was  unfortunately 
killed  in  active  service,  his  sister  and  heiress,  holding  about  ;!<r6oo  of 
his  acknowledgments,  was  oblige  to  apply  to  the  Court  of  Exchequer 
for  help.  O' Kelly's  lawyers  first  denied  that  Rochfort  had  ever 
passed  him  on  Calcraft's  note,  or,  if  it  was  so  passed,  insisted  that 
Rochfort  owed  O'Kelly  far  greater  sums  than  that.  In  fact,  said 
they,  O'Kelly  was  not  only  justified  in  keeping  the  note  for  ;^iooo, 
but  he  would  sue  Mary  Rochfort  for  payment  of  her  note  for  ;^50. 

From  another  legal  paper  I  find  that  Dennis  O'Kelly  obtained 
judgment  in  the  King's  Bench,  in  Ireland,  in  Hilary  Term,  1775, 
against  "  George  [Rowland]  Rochfort,  Esq.,  Captain  Lieutenant  in 
His  Majesty's  third  Battalion  Royal  Regiment  of  Artillery," 
for  £660. 

But  the  sister  seems  to  have  harboured  very  little  resentment ; 

for  on  November  12,  1776,  she  wrote  from  London  to  "  Captain 

O'Kelly,  Epsom,   Surrey,"  about  her  note  for  ^50  ;  and  ends  her 

242 


APPENDIX  D 

letter  as  follows  :  "  I  take  it  very  unkind  your  not  calling  on  me  when 
in  Town,  particular  as  you  knew  how  very  ill  I  was.  My  compliments 
to  Mrs.  O'Kelly.     Your  very  oblidged  servant,  M.  Rochfort." 

The  key  to  this  little  mystery  does  not  appear  until  the  docu- 
ments of  1817  reveal  a  letter  signed  by  H.  F.  Calcraft,  and  written 
to  Mr.  Michell  of  Bloomsbury,  solicitor  to  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
who  had  found  among  his  uncle's  papers  a  promissory  note  for  a 
thousand  guineas,  dated  1775,  payable  by  H.  F.  Calcraft,  three 
years  after  date,  to  Rowland  Rochfort,  and  endorsed  by  the  latter 
to  the  late  Colonel  [Dennis]  O'Kelly. 

Mr.  Calcraft  begins  as  follows  : 

"  To  be  obliged  to  .iccount  for  the  folly  or  weakness  of  my  early  youth,  on  the 
verge  of  my  grand  climacteric,  is  a  singular  fate,  but  the  possessor  of  such  a 
document  under  my  signature  is  doubtless  entitled  to  tbe  fullert  explanation 
respecting  it."  The  writer  considered  it  "  a  mere  Nidlily,  and  from  its  origin 
ought  never  to  have  been  regarded  in  any  other  pohit  of  view."  He  was  on 
board  the  Montreal  Frigate  in  1768,  when  little  moie  than  eleven,  and  was 
serving  in  the  Navy  at  Madras  when  news  came  of  his  father's  cierth  in  1774, 
and  he  left  the  service  for  England,  where  exaggerated  reports  of  his  "  fortune  " 
were  current.  He  fell  into  the  hands  of  Rochfort,  who  "  initiated  me  in  games 
at  Dice,  which  I  beheld  under  his  instructions  for  the  first  time,  and  concluded 
the  same  by  acquainting  me  that  I  owed  him  1000  guineas  .  .  .  and  my  note 
for  that  sum  was  demanded." 

His  father's  inheritance  in  all  was  only  ;^5000.  "  I  could  not 
afford  to  part  with  so  considerable  a  portion  of  it  for  being  grossly 
duped,  and  I  therefore  fully  determined  never  to  pay  even  the 
smallest  part  of  what  I  had  every  reason  to  believe  could  not  have 
been  fairly  won  from  a  person  of  so  early  an  age."  He  was  in 
England  for  some  years  from  1785,  and  held  the  office  of  Town 
Mayor  and  Judge  Advocate-General  in  Calcutta  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  and  the  note  was  never^  presented.  He  now  con- 
sidered there  was  no  claim  whatever  upon  him,  "  inasmuch  as  a 
novice  not  quite  18  can  be  no  match  for  a  professed  gamester."  He 
was  a  ward  in  Chancery  from  August  1772  till  September  1777, 
where  the  dates  given  above  can  be  verified. 

From  all  this  it  is  a  legitimate  deduction  that  Dennis  O'Kelly 
had  been  quite  willing  to  help  his  countryman,  Rowland  Rochfort, 
but  that  he  had  realised  the  nature  of  the  promissory  note  obtained 
from  young  Calcraft,  and  never  pressed  the  boy  to  pay  it. 

243 


APPENDIX  E 


MR.  HALLETT'S  CATALOGUE 

PARTICULARS  OF  THE  CANNONS  ESTATE  SOLD  TO 
DENNIS  O'KELLY  IN  NOVEMBER,  1785 

LOT  L 

A  Very  Valuable  and  most  Desirable  Freehold  Estate,  delightfully  situate  at 
Stanmore,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  Nine  Miles  from  London ;  comprising  A 
neat,  magnificent,  PORTLAND-STONE  DWELLING-HOUSE,  uniformly  erected 
in  a  capital  masterly  Stile,  seated  on  an  elevated  Spot  in  the  midst  of  a  fertile 
Paddock,  commanding  beautiful  Prospects  of  the  circumjacent  rich  Country, 
diversified  by  hanging  Woods,  and  a  Variety  of  agreeable  Objects  ;  Containing,  on 
the  ATTIC  STORY,  Seven  Bed-Chambers,  with  Closets.  PRINCIPAL  STORY, 
Five  Bed-Chambers,  and  two  Dressing-Rooms.  GROUND  STORY,  A  spacious 
Saloon,  with  Oak  Floor,  a  Drawing  Room,  Dining  Parlour,  and  Study ;  a  com- 
modious paved  Hall,  and  Stone  geometrical  Staircase.  BASEMENT  STORY,  A 
House-keeper's  Room,  Butler's  Pantry,  Servants'  Hall,  and  large  Kitchen,  with 
useful  connected  Offices,  spacious  Vaults,  Cellarage,  and  Ice-House. 

The  detached  DOMESTIC  OFFICES  consist  of— A  convenient  Brewhouse, 
Wash-house,  Laundry,  and  Chamber  over.  Also  at  a  proper  Distance,  an  eight- 
stall  Stable,  a  triple  Coach-house,  with  Lofts  and  Men's  Chambers  over,  and  a  three- 
stall  Stable.  A  large  Farm-Yard,  surrounded  with  excellent  Dutch  Barns,  Corn- 
Barn,  Stabling,  Cowhouse,  and  other  useful  Buildings  ;  and  a  Bailiffs  Messuage. 

The  Pleasure-Grounds  surround  the  Dwelling-House,  laid  out  in  Lawns,  agree- 
ably variegated  with  Clumps  of  Flowering-Shrubs  and  valuable  Plants. 

A  very  good  Kitchen-Garden  of  two  Acres,  encompassed  by  lofty  Walling 
cloathed  with  choice  Fruit-Trees,  and  fully  cropped  ;  a  Green-House,  Melon-Ground, 
and  Gardener's  Cottage ;  with  the  Paddock  of  remarkable  fertile  Meadow  Land, 
refreshed  by  two  noble  Sheets  of  Water  stocked  with  Abundance  of  Fish ;  and  a 
Dog-Kennel  and  Boiling-House  properly  placed  ;  the  Whole  inclosed  by  a  capital 
Brick  Wall. 

Three  Avenues  and  Five  Inclosures  of  rich  Meadow  Land  and  Five 
Springs  of  Wood  Land,  containing  together  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-three  Acres,  One  Rood,  and  Twenty-seven  Perch,  be  the 

244 


APPENDIX  E 

same  more  or  less,  numbered  in  the  Plan,  i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,     _^ 
9,  10,   II,   12,   13,   14  and   15,  and  are  of  the  supposed  yearly 
Value  {exclusive  of  House  and  Offices)  of  .         .         .  .         .     400 

A  small  genteel  Brick  Dwelling-House,  Offices,  and  Gardens,  Coach- 
house, Stabling,  and  Yard,  the  Whole  One  Acre  and  a  Half, 
numbered  in  the  Plan  16,  in  the  Possession  of  Mr.  Gibson,  who 
quits  at  Michaelmas,  17S5,  at    .         .         .         .  .         .         -35 

A  small  genteel  Brick  Dwelling-House,  Offices,  and  Gardens,  Coach- 
house, Stabling,  and  Yard,  the  Whole  One  Acre  and  a  Rood,  No. 
17  in  Plan,  late  in  the  Possession  of  Mr.  Green,  at      .         .         -25 


;^46o     o     o 

The  whole  Quantity  of  Land  in  Lot  I.  contains  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-six 
Acres,  and  twenty-seven  Perch,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  within  a  Ring  Fence,  and 
all  Freehold,  except  a  small  Part,  consisting  of  Part  of  No.  17,  supposed  about 
Half  an  Acre,  which  is  Copyhold  of  Inheritance,  subject  to  a  small  annual  Quit- 
Rent,  and  a  Fine  on  Death  or  Alienation  at  the  Will  of  the  Lord,  but  no  Heriot. 

Lot  I.  subject  to  ;Cio.  13s.  4d.  per  Annum,  payable  Quarterly,  to  Seven  poor 
Alms-People;  and  to  £1.  is.  payable  Annualy  to  the  same  Alms-People,  for 
Shoes. 

The  Purchaser  to  buy,  at  a  Valuation,  the  usual  Fixtures  in  House  and  Offices, 
an  Inventory  of  which  will  be  read  at  the  Time  of  Sale  :  And  may  be  accommodated 
with  the  Effects  in  House  and  Offices,  that  may  be  thought  proper  to  be  left  by  the 
present  Proprietor,  with  the  Deer,  Live  and  Dead  Stock,  Farming  Implements,  &c., 
at  a  Valuation ;  if  rejected,  they  will  be  sold  on  the  Premises. 

Sundry  Estates  in  and  contiguous  to  the  Town  of  Edgware,  the  Property  of  the 
present  Vendor,  and  not  to  be  sold,  are  supplied  with  Water  from  the  Bason  in 
Edgware  Avenue,  comprised  in  Lot  I.  and  No.  6  in  Plan ;  therefore  Lot  I.  is  to  be 
sold,  subject  to  the  present  Vendor,  his  Heirs,  or  Assigns,  having  the  said  Estates 
supplied  from  the  Bason,  they  keeping  the  Pipes  in  Order,  and  making  good  any 
Damage  that  may  be  committed  by  mending  the  Pipes,  or  laying  new  ones  down. 

REPAIRS   AT   CANNONS   IN  1799. 

In  the  Bill  to  A.  D.  O'Kelly  from  John  Bodimeade  occur  the 
following  items  : 

April  22.  To  14  pounds  of  soder  to  repair  the  floll  on  the  top 

of  Cannons  house,  at  gd.   .         .         .  .         .         .         .     10     6 

A  day's  labour  to  do.  and  nails  .         .  .         .         -39 

April  23.  To  I  sash  light  to  the  water  closet  room  23  by  20         .       6     6 
I   light  to  the  saloon  room  worked  to  the  stained  glass  2 1 
by  20       .         .         .         .  .         .         .         .         .         .70 

May  25.  20  pound  of  soder  for  the  flott  and  gutters    .         .         .     15     o 
A  day's  work,  i  man  and  labourer      .         .         .  .         .50 

Nails  for  do.    .........06 

In   1798,  on  July  26,  Messrs.  Spurrier  and  Phipps,  of  Copthal 
Court,  valued  Cannons  at  ;^64,ooo,  exclusive  of  timber  and  under- 

245 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

wood ;  and  include  in  it  "  a  small  house  adjoining  the  village  of 
Edgeware,  copyhold  of  inheritance,"  in  which  H.  Grattan  and 
Mary  O'Kelly  Grattan  lived  later  on. 

In  1805,  in  a  list  of  the  Encumbrances  on  Cannons,  the  following 
items  occur  : 

Various  loans,  among  which  is  Harvey's  ^6000,  and 
"  Bazilgate's "  .^9000  ;  also  Mrs.  O'Kelly's  annuity  of  ;^400, 
amount  to  acapitdof  ^29,610,  and  annual  interest  of  ^2090  los. 

If  the  estate  only  sold  at  .-^40,000  it  would  only  leave  ;^io,390  ; 
and  to  indemnify  a  purchaser  for  Mrs.  O'Kelly's  annuity  and 
another,  a  sum  of  ;^  13,000  would  have  to  be  deposited  in  the  funds. 

An  annuity  of  ;if  200  was  also  payable  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip 
O'Kelly  for  their  lives. 

By  November  23,  1808,  Andrew  O'Kelly's  liabilities  had 
increased  to  the  several  sums  of  ^21,800;  ;^  1 1,976  ;  and  ^2829  ;  all 
mortgages  on  Cannons  for  sums  lent  by  Michael  Atkinson  of 
Upper  Harley  Street,  and  an  offer  was  then  entertained  from 
Andrew's  cousin,  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey,  to  purchase  the  estate, 
including  deer,  horses,  and  cattle,  for  ;^48,ooo. 

In  June  181 1,  the  whole  380  acres  of  the  estate,  including 
houses,  timber,  and  stock,  was  valued  at  £yy,ooo ;  and  at  that  time 
the  Countess  of  Pomfret  was  paying  .1^525  a  year  for  the  mansion, 
furnished,  and  pleasure  grounds. 

Captain  James  Anderson  paid  ^102  i8s.  for  the  South  Lodge 

and  Lwelve  acres.     James  Greig,  Charles  Bonner  and  S.  D.  Harvey 

were  tenants  of  land  to  amount  of  ^136  10^.  in  all;  and  the  Earl 

of  Elgin  paid  ^^482  a  year  for  North  Lodge  and  eighty  acres. 

By  1823   Colonel   Andrew  O'Kelly  was  dead,  and  in  February 

of  that   year  Sir   Thomas   Plumer,  Master  of  the   Rolls,  who  had 

bought  Cannons,  writes  to  Mr.  Harvey  in  Ireland  concerning  "the 

sum  of  ^1000  retained  by  me  out  of  the  purchase  money  jf  Cannons 

as  an   indemnity  against  all  liabilities   in   respect  of  Mrs.  Hayes's 

annuity  "  ;  also  concerning  a  bond  for  a  further  amount  of  .^^4000  for 

''  the  livino-  of  Whitchurch  in  case  a  title  could  have  made  to  it "  ; 

expressing  his  willingness,  if  this  second  matter  were  settled,  to  pay 

;^iooo  immediately  to  the  Ex°"-of  Col.  O'Kelly,  "  against  all  liablility 

in  respect  of  any  claim  in  future  in  respect  of  Mrs.  Haye's  annuity." 

The  details  of  the  estate  purchased  by  Sir  Thomas  Plumer  may 

246 


APPENDIX  E 

be  found  in  the  auctioneer's  catalogue  of  the  sale  ordered  by  the 
Court  of  Chancery  in  a  suit  between  Michael  Atkinson  and  Andrew 
O'Kelly.     I  have  reprinted  the  whole  document. 

PARTICULARS 

OF  A 

FREEHOLD  AND  COPYHOLD  ESTATE 

(A  small  Part  only  being  Copyhold), 

called  CANNONS, 

Situate  a  LITTLE  STANMORE,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  TO  BE  SOLD, 
Pursuant  to  a  Decree  of  the  High  Court  of  Chancery,  dated  the  7  th  day  of 
May,  181 1,  With  the  Approbation  of  EDWARD  MORRIS,  Esq.,  One  of  the 
Masters  of  the  said  Court,  at  the  PUBLIC  SALE  ROOM  of  the  said  Court,  in 
Southampton  Buildings,  Chancery  Lane,  London,  on  Friday  the  12th  Day  of  July, 
1 8 II,  at  Two  o'clock,  IN  ONE  LOT. 


PARTICULARS,  &c. 

All  that  CAPITAL  MESSUAGE  or  MANSION  HOUSE  commonly  called 
CANNONS,  situate  in  the  Parish  of  Stanmore  Parva,  otherwise  Little  Stanmore,  in 
the  County  of  Middlesex,  with  the  numerous  Offices,  Coach  Houses,  Stables,  Barns, 
Cow  Houses,  Lodges,  Cottages,  Out  Houses,  Courts,  Yards,  Gardens,  Pleasure 
Grounds,  Lawns,  and  Shrubberies,  thereunto  belonging,  together  with  the  Site  or 
Parcel  of  GROUND  whereon  the  said  Capital  Messuage  and  Buildings  stand,  and 
the  Premises  comprising  the  same,  containing,  by  Estimation,  Seventeen  Acres,  or 
thereabouts,  be  the  same  more  or  less;  and  also  Three  AVENUES  and  Five  Inclo- 
sures  or  Pieces  of  MEADOW  or  PASTURE  GROUND ;  and  also  Five  Springs  of 
WOODLAND,  lying  contiguous  to,  and  now,  or  formerly,  occupied  with  the  before- 
mentioned  capital  Messuage;  and  also  Two  BRICK  DWELLING-HOUSES 
standing  between  the  Wall  that  incloses  the  before-mentioned  Mansion  House,  and 
the  High  Road  leading  from  Edgeware  to  Stanmore,  with  the  Coach  Houses,  Offices, 
Gardens,  and  Ground  thereto  belonging;  all  which  Inclosures,  Lands,  Grounds, 
Woodlands,  and  Premises,  before  described,  contain  in  the  Whole  196  Acres  and  27 
Perches,  or  thereabouts,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  and  a  small  Piece  thereof,  con- 
taining about  Half  an  Acre,  is  Copyhold  of  Inheritance  held  of  the  Manor  of  Little 
Stanmore  :  Also  a  CLOSE,  called  CHERRY  ORCHARD,  containing  4  Acres,  3 
Roods  and  5  Perches,  or  thereabouts ;  also  a  Piece  or  Parcel  of  Ground,  called 
DOVE  HOUSE  MEAD,  containing  12  Acres  and  20  Perches,  or  thereabouts  ;  also 
a  CLOSE,  formerly  Two  Closes,  called  GREAT  LUDSPUTT  and  LITTLE 
LUDSPUTT,  containing  13  Acres  i  Rood  and  22  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  also 
Two  CLOSES,  called  GILES  PARK,  containing  7  Acres  and  13  Poles,  or  there- 
abouts ;  also  all  that  CLOSE  called  GREAT  GILES  PARK,  containing  1 1  Acres 

24; 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

I  Rood  and  32  Perches,  or  thereabouts ;  all  which  said  Pieces  or  Parcels  of  Land  are 
situate  in  the  said  Parish  of  Little  Stanmore,  and  contain  in  the  Whole  48  Acres  3 
Roods  and  1 2  Perches,  or  thereabouts,  be  the  same  more  or  less :  Also  a  CLOSE 
called  STENWICK  HILL  PASTURE,  containing  6  Acres  i  rood  and  i  Perch,  or 
thereabouts;  also  a  CLOSE  called  GREAT  HENSHIRE,  containing  8  Acres  3 
Roods  and  1 9  Perches,  or  thereabouts ;  also  a  CLOSE,  formerly  Two  Fields,  called 
LITTLE  POUND  FIELD  and  SEVEN  ACRES,  containing  20  Acres  and  36 
Perches,  or  thereabouts ;  also  a  CLOSE,  called  POUND  FIELD  MEADOW,  con- 
taining 8  Acres  3  Roods  and  22  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  also  a  CLOSE,  called 
GREAT  ANMERS,  containing  7  Acres  i  Rood  and  22  Perches,  or  thereabouts; 
also  a  PIECE  of  LAND  called  ANMER'S  MEADOW,  containing  7  Acres,  or  there- 
abouts ;  all  which  Closes,  Pieces,  or  Parcels  of  Land  last  described,  are  situate  in  the 
said  Parish  of  Little  Stanmore  and  contain,  in  the  Whole,  58  Acres  and  3  Roods,  or 
thereabouts,  be  the  same  more  or  less ;  Also  a  CLOSE  called  CROW  GROVE  or 
SHOTTS,  containing  t8  Acres  i  Rood  and  19  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  also  a 
CLOSE  called  MIDDLE  CHURCH  FIELD,  containing  10  Acres  i  Rood  and  34 
Perches,  or  thereabouts ;  also  a  CLOSE  called  CHURCH  FIELD,  containing  11 
Acres  3  Roods  and  38  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  also  a  CLOSE  called  GREAT 
MARSH,  containing  25  Acres  i  Rood  and  6  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  also  a 
CLOSE  called  the  SLIP ;  also  those  PIECES  of  LAND  called  LITTLE  MARSH, 
or  SHEPHERD'S  MEAD,  containing  3  Acres  and  36  Perches,  or  thereabouts;  all 
which  Closes,  Pieces,  or  Parcels  of  Land  last  mentioned  and  described,  are  situate  in 
the  said  Parish  of  Little  Stanmore,  and  contain  in  the  Whole,  7 1  Acres  i  Rood  and 
3  Perches,  or  thereabouts,  be  the  same  more  or  less  :  Also  a  MESSUAGE  or 
TENEMENT,  with  the  Barn,  Yard,  Garden,  and  a  Piece  or  Parcel  of  Pasture 
Ground  thereto  adjoining,  containing,  by  Estimation,  One  Acre,  or  thereabouts, 
which  said  last-mentioned  Messuage  or  Tenement,  Ground  and  Premises,  are  Copy- 
hold of  Inheritance,  and  held  of  the  said  Manor  of  Little  Stanmore. 

The  said  Estate  is  chargeable  with  an  Annuity  of  ^^400  for  the  Life  of  a  Lady 
aged  about  85  Years,  and  will  be  sold  subject  to  the  said  Annuity,  or  discharged  there- 
from, as  the  Parties  may  hereafter  agree  upon,  and  as  will  be  declared  at  the  Time 
of  Sale. 

The  Estate  is  also  subject  to  an  Out-going  of  j£ii  14s.  4d.  per  Annum  to  the 
Poor  Alms  People  belonging  to  the  Parish  of  Little  Stanmore. 

One  of  the  Brick  Dwelling  Houses  and  Part  of  the  Close  called  the  Great  Marsh, 
being  about  1 2  Acres,  are  on  Lease  to  Captain  Anderson  for  a  Term  of  2 1  Years, 
from  Lady  Day  1807,  at  the  yearly  Rent  of  ^£104.  Several  of  the  Closes  or  Parcels 
of  Land  near  the  Mansion  House,  containing  about  80  Acres,  together  with  some 
Out-buildings,  are  let  to  the  Earl  of  Elgin  on  an  Agreement  for  Three  Years,  from 
Michaelmas  last,  at  the  yearly  Rent  of  ^483 ;  and  the  Closes  or  Parcels  of  Land 
called  Great  Anmers  and  Anmer's  Meadow,  are  on  Lease  to  David  Greig,  for  a  Term 
of  21  years,  from  Lady  Day  1803,  at  the  yearly  Rent  of  ;^63.  The  Mansion  House, 
and  other  Parts  of  the  Estate  are  in  Possession  of  the  said  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly, 
and  Tenants  at  Will. 

Particulars  of  the  said  Estate  may  be  had  (gratis)  at  the  said  Master's  Chambers, 
in  Southampton  Buildings,  Chancery  Lane,  London  ;  of  Messrs.  Crowder,  Lavie  and 
Garth,  Solicitors,  Frederick's  Place,  Old  Jewry,  London ;  of  Mr.  Richards,  Solicitor, 
Red  Lion  Square,  London ;  and  at  the  Inns  at  Stanmore  and  Edgeware,  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex. 

248 


APPENDIX  E 

PARTICULARS 
LOT  I. 

A  VALUABLE  FREEHOLD  ESTATE,  CALLED  CANNONS,  Situate 
Between  Edgeware  and  Stanmore,  Comprising  AN  ELEGANT  STONE-BUILT 
MANSION,  Placed  on  a  Fine  Commanding  Eminence,  Surrounded  by  A  PARK 
WALL,  and  nearly  One  Hundred  and  Forty  Acres  of  fine  rich  Meadow  Feeding 
Land,  Embellished  with  noble  lofty  Timber  Trees,  Disposed  in  Avenues,  and 
Dispersed  over  the  Lands,  ORNAMENTED  BY  A  NOBLE  SHEET  OF  WATER, 
AND  CANALS  STORED  WITH  FISH;  commanding  Extensive  and  enchant- 
ingly  picturesque  Views  over  the  surrounding  Country  in  all  directions ;  Two  Porters 
Lodges  at  the  Principal  Entrance,  With  Carriage  Drives  through  Avenues  to  THE 
MANSION,  which  contains  in  THE  ATTIC  STORY,  Six  excellent  Bedchambers 
with  Fire-places,  a  Store  Room,  Closets,  Lobby  to  the  Leads — the  Rooms  are 
finished  with  Sash  Windows.  SECOND  STORY,  Two  excellent  Bedchambers, 
with  Marble  Chimney-pieces,  Wood  Dressings,  neatly  papered,  and  Cornice;  large 
Closet.  A  good  proportioned  handsome  bowed  Bedchamber,  neat  Cornice,  and 
papered.  A  Chamber  adjoining  on  the  Back  Front,  neatly  papered,  finished  with 
Marble  Chimney-piece  and  Cornice.  Bedchamber  and  Dressing  Room  adjoining, 
Patent  Water  Closet  in  Cabinet.  Bowed  Bedchamber,  West,  a  good  proportioned 
Room,  papered,  Marble  Chimney-piece,  Wood  Dressings,  and  Plate  Glass  Pannels, 
neat  Cornice.  Spacious  Lobby.  GROUND  STORY,  Entrance  by  Stone  Steps  to 
a  handsome  Hall,  paved  with  Stone,  Walls  stuccoed,  enriched  Cornice.  An  elegant 
Stone  Staircase  to  the  First  Floor,  the  Hand-rail  inlaid  with  Ivory  and  Pearl,  Iron 
Ballustrade.  A  neat  Study,  wainscotted.  Sash  Windows  with  circular  Head, 
Marble  Chimney-piece,  Wood  Dressings,  Two  Closets,  &c.  Opposite  to  which  is  a 
Breakfast  Room,  stuccoed  Walls,  coloured  Green,  finished  with  gilt  Mouldings, 
enriched  Cornice,  and  Statuary  Marble  Chimney-piece.  A  Bow-Front  Drawing 
Room,  with  elegant  India  Paper  and  gilt  Mouldings,  capital  Statuary  Marble  Chimney- 
piece,  with  Sienna  Frieze,  enriched  Cornice  and  Ceiling,  carved  Mouldings,  and  Sash 
Windows  with  circular  Head.  A  Noble  Saloon  Adjoining,  the  whole  Length  of 
North  Front,  finished  with  stuccoed  Walls,  broad  gilt  Mouldings,  enriched  Ceiling 
and  Cornice,  Two  solid  veined  Marble  Chimney-pieces,  Four  Sash  Windows  with 
circular  Head,  Door  to  Lawn  in  the  Bow  and  Stone  Steps,  Wainscot  Floor.  Dining 
Parlour,  with  bowed  End  on  the  West  Side,  wainscotted,  Sash  Windows,  enriched 
Cornice  and  Ceiling,  Statuary  and  Sienna  Marble  Chimney-piece. 

OFFICES.  Housekeeper's  Room,  with  Closets,  Presses,  and  Shelves.  Roomy 
Servants'  Hall,  with  Oven,  Sink,  &c.  Two  Larders,  Dairy.  An  excellent  roomy 
Kitchen,  with  Dressers,  Shelves,  &c.  Butler's  Pantry,  with  Cupboards,  &c.  Large 
Scullery,  Force  Pump,  Sink,  &c. — Ice-house.  Numerous  and  excellent  vaulted 
Cellars  for  Wine,  Beer,  and  other  Purposes. 

A  LARGE  OPEN  AREA  on  the  West  Front,  with  Iron  Rails,  paved  with 
Stone,  Vaults,  and  Steps  to  the  Terrace.  Lawns  on  the  West  and  South  fronts, 
planted  with  Shrubs,  Evergreens,  and  laid  out  with  Gravel  Walks. 

DETACHED  OFFICES.  Double  Coach-house,  Stable  for  Eight  Horses, 
Lofts  and  Room  over.  Yard,  with  open  Stable,  Loft  over,  Cow-house,  Piggery, 
and  Dove  Cote,  &c.  Two  enclosed  Paddocks  for  Stallions,  with  an  open  Stable 
each.     A   Brew-house,  Laundry,  and  Wash-house.      A    spacious    Farm-yard,    with 

249 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Four  Cart  Sheds  and  Loft  over,  and  Three  Stables  for  Two  Horses  each  adjoining, 
and  Colt  Stables.  Two  capital  extensive  Hay  Barns,  with  Granary  at  one  end,  and 
a  Granary  on  Stone  Piers.     A  large  Barn  and  Stable  adjoining. 

A  NEAT  FARM  HOUSE,  Cart  Stable  for  Five  Horses,  with  Harness  Room 
and  a  Dog  Kennel.  Work-shop,  Fowl-house,  Wood-yard,  and  Four  Paddocks,  with 
Stables  in  each,  Large  Cattle-shed  Back  of  the  Hay  Barns,  and  various  Out- 
buildings ;  And  a  fine  Well  of  Water.  A  capital  Kitchen  Garden,  walled  round, 
cloathed  with  select  Fruit  Trees,  fully  stocked  and  cropped,  well  planted.  A 
Melon  Ground,  with  Sheds.  A  good  Gardener's  House,  Green-house,  Fish  Pond, 
and  a  large  Garden  and  Orchard  adjoining,  ABOUT  FOUR  ACRES,  well  planted 
with  fine  young  Trees,  and  a  Slip  with  ditto. 


250 


APPENDIX    F 

AFFIDAVITS  IN  THE  MATTER  OF  CHIFNEY  S 

ANNUITY 

His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  graciously  pleased  to 
settle  an  annuity  upon  the  late  Samuel  Chifney,  which  he,  with  his 
Royal  Highness's  approbation,  sold  to  Joseph  Sparkes,  Esq.,  who 
received  the  same  elev^en  successive  quarters,  when  payment  thereof 
was  stopped.  An  inquiry  into  the  cause  of  its  discontinuance,  and 
an  apparent  want  of  recollection  on  the  part  of  a  gentleman  who 
was  a  party  to  the  transaction,  seemed  to  have  rendered  it  question- 
able whether  the  grant  was  made  during  pleasure,  or  during  his 
Royal  Highness's  life,  and  it  is  to  determine  that  question  that  the 
following  confirmations  of  vhe  Tract  are  produced  : 

IN  THE  MATTER  OF  SAMUEL  CHIFNEY. 

JOSEPH  SPARKES  of  Brompton  in  the  County  of  Middlesex  Esq"-  maketh 
oatli  and  saith  that  in  the  latter  end  of  the  Year  One  thousand  eight  hundred  He 
was  applied  to  by  Samuel  Chifney,  since  deceased,  who  represented  himself  to  be  in 
the  greatest  distress,  having  been  repeatedly  threatened,  and  in  daily  expectation  of 
being  sent  to  Prison  for  debt,  and  from  which  he  had  no  other  prospect  of  being 
released  than  from  the  sale  of  an  Annuity  of  Two  hundred  Guineas,  which  he  stated 
His  Royal  Highness  The  Prince  of  Wales  had  granted  to  him,  during  the  life  of  His 
said  Royal  Highness,  and  this  deponent  further  saith  that  the  said  Samuel  Chifney 
also  represented  to  this  deponent  that  his  said  Royal  Highness  had  most 
graciously  condescended  to  permit  him  to  sell  and  assign  the  said  Annuity  to  any 
person  who  would  purchase  the  same,  and  thereby  relieve  the  said  Samuel  Chifney 
from  his  otherwise  inextricable  difficulties.  And  this  deponent  further  saith  that 
although  he  had  reason  to  rely  on  the  truth  of  the  statement  made  by  the  said  Samuel 
Chifney,  he  nevertheless  thought  it  his  duty  (after  having  called  upon  Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  in  company  with  Colonel  O'Kelly)  to  enquire  of  Robert  Grey  Esq'',  the 
Auditor,  (as  this  Deponent  believes)  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall  Office,  whether  such 

251 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Annuity  was  then  paid,  and  whether  His  said  Royal  Highness  had  consented  to  the 
alienation  thereof  and  that  the  same  would  be  paid  to  a  purchaser.  And  this 
Deponent  further  saith  that  being  answered  in  the  affirmative  by  the  said  Robert 
Grey,  he  upon  the  faith  and  reliance  of  this  assurance  purchased  of  the  said  Samuel 
Chifney  his  said  Annuity  of  Two  hundred  Guineas,  for  which  he  the  said  Samuel 
Chifney  received  from  this  Deponent  the  full  sum  of  twelve  hundred  Guineas,  and  in 
consequence  thereof  executed  an  Assignment  of  the  same  to  this  Deponent.  And 
this  Deponent  further  saith  that  after  the  execution  thereof  he  attended  at  the  office 
of  the  said  Robert  Grey  Esq""  and  procured  an  Entry  of  the  same  to  be  made  thereof 
in  the  Books  belonging  thereto ;  but  whether  this  Deponent  was  recorded  therein  as 
the  Assignee  or  the  Attorney  of  the  said  Samuel  Chifney,  he  this  Deponent  does  not 
accurately  remember,  as  nothing  passed  at  the  time  to  direct  his  attention  to  that 
circumstance,  but  this  deponent  saith,  that  it  being  very  important  to  his  interests  to 
ascertain  as  far  as  he  was  able  to  do,  whether  or  not  his  said  Royal  Highness  was 
desirous  that  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  should  alienate  his  said  Annuity,  he  did  most 
distinctly  give  the  said  Robert  Grey  to  understand  (although  he  cannot  at  this 
distance  of  time  recollect  the  exact  words  he  used  on  the  occasion)  that  he  was  about 
to  purchase  the  same  of  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  and  the  said  Robert  Grey  was  fully 
apprised  and  knew  that  from  the  day  of  his,  this  Deponent's  compleating  the  said 
purchase,  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  would  have  no  further  Interest  in  the  said 
Annuity.  And  this  Deponent  further  saith,  that  he  afterwards  received  at  the  said 
Auditor's  Office,  eleven  payments  of  the  said  Annuity,  but  in  the  Month  of  May  1804, 
a  Notice  was  given  him  whereby  he  was  informed  that  no  other  payment  would  be 
made  thereon,  and  lastly  this  Deponent  saith  that  he  hath  since  parted  with  the  said 
Annuity,  and  hath  no  further  interest  therein. 

Sworn  at  the  Public  Office  in  Southampton 
Buildings  the  day  of 

1 8 1 3  before 

ANDREW  DENNIS  O'KELLY  Esq'  of  Half  Moon  Street,  Piccadilly,  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex,  maketh  oath  and  saith  that  some  time  in  the  latter  end  of  the 
Year  One  thousand  eight  hundred,  he  was  applied  to  by  the  Marquis  of  Donegall  to 
become  surety  in  lieu  of  the  said  Marquis,  for  the  payment  of  an  Annuity  of  Two 
hundred  Guineas,  which  his  Royal  Highness  The  Prince  of  Wales  had  granted  for  his 
own  life  to  Samuel  Chifney :  which  Annuity  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  had  agreed  to 
dispose  of  to  Joseph  Sparkes  Esq',  who,  having  required  that  the  payment  of  it 
should  be  guaranteed,  the  said  Marquis  had  consented  to  become  such  guarantee; 
but  that  the  said  Mr.  Sparkes  objected  to  accept  the  guarantee  of  the  said  Marquis, 
on  account  of  his  being  a  Peer  of  the  Realm.  And  this  Deponent  further  saith, 
that  in  complying  as  he  did  with  the  request  of  the  said  Marquis  as  aforesaid  He  was 
influenced  by  other  causes  besides  the  said  Marquis's  counter  guarantee  to  this 
Deponent,  and  principally  because  the  confidence  which  he,  this  Deponent,  had  in 
the  regular  payment  of  the  said  Annuity  by  His  Royal  Highness  during  his  Royal 
Highness's  life,  was  fully  confirmed  by  this  Deponent  having  had  good,  sufficient, 
and  satisfactory  means  of  knowing  that  the  said  Annuity  had  been  granted  to  the 
said  Samuel  Chifney  by  His  Royal  Highness,  for,  and  during  His  Royal  Highness's 
life.  And  this  Deponent  considering  that  the  benevolent  intention  of  His  Royal 
Highness  in  respect  to  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  would  be  greatly  promoted  by  the 

252 


APPENDIX  F 

aforesaid  arrangement  for  enabling  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  to  dispose  of  the  said 
Annuity,  this  Deponent,  at  the  request  of  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  and  the  said 
Joseph  Sparkes  made  application  to  Colonel  Mac  Mahon  (now  The  Right  Honour- 
able John  Mac  Mahon)  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  for  the  said  Mr  Sparkes  satis- 
factory assurances  respecting  the  actual  grant  of  the  said  Annuity  for  the  life  of  His 
Royal    Highness,    and    respecting   other    particulars    relating    thereunto,    And   this 
Deponent  further  saith  that  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon  authorised  this  Deponent 
to  appoint   the  said   Mr    Sparkes  to  attend  at  the  residence  of  the  said  Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  to  receive  from  him  the  assurances  required ;  and  that  when  the  said 
Deponent  caused  the  said  Mr.  Sparkes  to  attend  him  at  the  residence  of  the  said 
Colonel  Mac  Mahon,  he  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon  informed  this  Deponent  that 
upon  further  consideration  of  the  matter  he  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon  was  of 
opinion  that  the  most  proper,  as  well  as  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  communicating 
to  the  said  Mr  Sparkes,  the  assurances   required,  was,  that  he  the  said   Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  should  order  the  proper  officer  in  the  office  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall 
to  communicate  the  necessary  information  to  the  said  Mr  Sparkes ;  whereupon  this 
Deponent,  approving  of  the  said  suggestion,  accompanied  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon 
when  he  left  his  residence  to  go  to  the  aforesaid  Office  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  after 
which  the  said  Mr.  Sparkes,  as  this  Deponent  had  good  reason  to  believe  and  did 
and  does  believe,  presented  himself  before  the  said  Officer  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall, 
from  whom  he,  the  said  Mr  Sparkes,  as  this  Deponent  believes,  received  satisfactory 
assurances  of  the  said  Annuity  having  been  granted  by  his  Royal  Highness  as  afore- 
said for  and  during  His   Royal   Highness's  life;  that  it  was   regularly  paid  every 
Quarter  ;  that  His  Royal  Highness  consented  to,   and  approved  of  the  alienation 
thereof,  and  that  it  would  be  punctually  paid  there  accordingly  to  the  purchaser  of 
the  said  Annuity.     And   this  Deponent  further  saith  that  when  the  said  Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  proposed  that  the  assurances  required  by  the  said  Mr  Sparkes  should 
be  given  him   by  the  proper  officer  in  the  office  aforesaid,  he   the  said  Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  remarked  that  his  authorizing  the  said  Officer  to  give  the  assurances 
required  would  have  additional  advantage  of  providing  a  certain  Medium,  through  which 
any  other  person  might  obtain  such  assurances,  in  case  the  said  Mr  Sparkes  should 
not   ultimately  become  the  purchaser  of    the  said  Annuity.     And   this   Deponent 
further  saith,  that  when  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon  left  his  residence  to  go  to  the 
Office  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  he  this  Deponent  walked 
with  him  as  far  as  Charing  Cross,  where  they  were  induced  by  a  shower  of  rain  to 
take  shelter  in  a  Hosier's  Shop,  and  that  whilst  they  were  there,  the  said  Colonel 
Mac  Mahon  devoted  his  attention  to  the  perusal  of  a  paper  containing  a  statement 
then  intended  to  be  published  by  the  said  Samuel  Chifney  of  which  a  Copy  is  here- 
unto annexed,  and  this  Deponent  further  saith,  that  after  the  said  Colonel  Mac  Mahon 
had  read  the  said  statement,  he  expressed  his  approbation  of  it  in  the  strongest  and 
most  unequivocal  terms. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  Paper  above  alluded  to  the  substance  of  which,  but 
in  stronger  and  more  emphatical  language,  was  afterwards  published  and  sworn  to 
before  John  CoUick  Esq',  13th  March  1801,  by  Samuel  Chifney,  at  which  time  he 
had  sold,  and  ceased  to  have  any  Interest  whatever  in  the  said  Annuity. 

"  Soon  after  this,  Sir  Charles  Bunbury,  as  I  have  been  informed,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  directions  he  received  from  the  Prince,  on  his  leaving  New- 
market, wrote  to  His  Royal  Highness  and  enclosed  my  two  affidavits  informing 
him  at  the  same  time,  that  after  the  strictest  investigation  of  all  the  circum- 

253 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

stances  respecting  the  business,  by  himself  and  the  other  Stewards  of  the 
Jockey  Club,  they  found  that  all  the  malicious  reports  circulated  against  me, 
were  totally  unfounded,  and  that  no  censure  whatever  could  attach  to  me. 
Some  time  after  the  Prince's  return  from  Brighton,  I  came  up  to  London, 
when,  being  one  day  ordered  into  His  Royal  Highness's  presence,  he  was 
graciously  pleased  in  the  presence  of  a  Gentleman  then  with  him,  to  express 
himself  nearly  in  the  following  manner  : 

'  Chifney,  I  am  perfectly  well  satisfied  with  your  conduct  since  you  have  rode 
for  me,  and  I  believe  you  have  discharged  your  duty  like  an  honest,  faithful 
Servant,  and  altho'  I  shall  have  no  further  occasion  for  you,  having  ordered  all 
my  Horses  to  be  sold,  I  have  directed  my  Treasurer  to  continue  during  my  life 
to  pay  you  your  present  Salary  of  Two  hundred  a  year.' 

Language  cannot  describe  my  feelings  on  hearing  this  generous  communica- 
tion. I  bowed  and  retired  in  silence,  beseeching  at  the  same  time  in  my 
Heart  the  Almighty  to  pour  down  his  choicest  blessings  on  a  Prince  whose 
magnanimity  and  goodness  of  heart  induced  him  graciously  to  condescend  to 
give  protection  and  support  to  an  unfortunate  injured  Man,  who  but  for  this 
act  of  benevolence  must  otherwise  have  starved  with  his  Wife  and  Children 
and  who  with  them  are  bound  to  pray  for  such  a  generous  benefactor. 

So  little  is  the  truth  of  this  transaction  known,  that  at  last  Brighton  Races, 
some  young  Gentlemen,  members  of  the  Jockey  Club  and  others,  hearing  that 
with  His  Royal  Highness's  permission  I  was  about  to  be  employed  to  ride  for 
the  Nobleman  I  have  now  the  honor  of  serving,  expressed  to  this  Nobleman 
and  a  Gentleman  who  is  his  intimate  friend,  their  astonishment  that  they  could 
think  of  suffering  such  a  rogue  as  Chifney  to  ride  their  Horses,  after  having 
been  disqualified  by  the  Jockey  Club  from  riding  at  Newmarket,  in  consequence 
of  his  having  rode  the  Prince  of  Wales's  Escape  unfairly  at  that  place,  &c.,  &c. 
This  was  denied  by  the  Nobleman's  friend,  who  knew  the  fact  to  be  otherwise. 
It  was  agreed  however  by  the  Parties  to  ask  Sir  Charles  Banbury,  who  was 
then  at  Brighton,  and  the  next  day  they  accidentally  met  h-m.  The  question 
was  put  to  Sir  Charles,  who  very  candidly  answered,  thai  M  far  from  being 
disqualified  from  riding,  I  was  not  even  censured  by  I'.ie  Jockey  Club,  but 
fully  acquitted  by  the  Stewards,  who  upon  enquiry  re:,pecLin3  my  aiding  Escape 
unfairly,  discovered  the  reports  circulated  against  me  to  be  enLire'y  unfounded. 

The  stronger  and  more  emphatical  wording  of  what  His  Royal  Highness  said 
on  the  occasion,  which  as  stated  in  the  title  or  heading  to  the  ''oregoing  Paper, 
was  sworn  to  afterwards  by  Samuel  Chifney  was  as  follows. 

"  His  Royal  Highness  wished  me  to  understand  that  the  "  Two  hundred 
Guineas  a  year  which  he  gave  me,  was  for  /its  life,  and  that  he  could  not  give  it 
for  my  own  life." 

To  which  a  Nofa  Bene  is  added  as  follows  : 

"  N.B.  Till  now  I  thought  it  had  been  for  my  own  "  life,  but  I  was  the  same 
satisfied." 

Such  are  the  precise  terms,  to  the  correctness  of  which  Chifney  made  affidavit, 
as  before  described,  when,  as  before  stated,  he  had  no  longer  any  Interest  whatever 
in  the  said  Annuity. 


254 


APPENDIX    G 

PAPERS  CONCERNING  LORD  DONEGAL 

I 

From  Colonel  O'Kelly  to  Lord  Donegal. 

DoNEGALL  Arms,  Belfast, 

Sept.  10,  1 814. 

My  Lord, 

Not  having  yet  received  any  Communication  from  your  Lord- 
ship relative  to  the  reports  which  have  been  circulated  to  the 
disadvantage  of  my  late  father  and  myse'f  during  your  residence 
in  Ireland  for  the  last  8  years,  which  reports,  as  you  have  been 
informed  impute  to  us  our  having  taken  improper  advantages  of 
your  Lordship  in  different  transactions  in  the  years  1794  &  1800 
I  desire  that  your  Lordship  will  no  longer  delay  to  state  what  has 
been  our  conduct  towards  you  upon  all  occasions  &  particularly 
at  the  periods  alluded  to, 

I  have  the  Honor  to  be  &c. 

A  :  D  :  O'Kelly. 

II 

From  Lord  Donegal  to  h.   D.  O'Kelly. 

Ormean  Cottage,  Sept.  16,  1814. 
Sir, 

I  have  read  your  letter  of  the  loth  instant,  stating  that  reports 
to  the  disadvantage  of  your  father  and  yourself  had  been  circulated 
during  my  residence  in  Ireland  for  the  last  8   years,  which  reports 

255 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

impute  to  you  and  your  late  father,  having  taken  improper  advantages 
of  me  in  different  transactions  in  the  years  1794.  &  1800,  I  beg 
leave  to  say  that  I  never  fabricated  such  reports  and  that  they  are 
altogether  void  of  truth,  as  to  the  bills  filed  in  chancery  against  your 
Father  and  yourself  by  my  Trustees,  Messrs.  Agnew,  Dashwood, 
McGeorge  and  Lyon  they  were  contrary  to  my  approbation  & 
without  my  Consent,  having  always  lived  on  the  most  intimate  footing 
with  you  and  conceiving  you  to  be  a  man  of  the  strictest  Honor 
and  integrity  and  which  was  the  general  opinion  of  the  world  when 
I  first  had  the  pleasure  of  your  acquaintance,  with  regard  to  the 
stock  which  I  purchased  of  your  father  the  late  Mr.  Phillip  O' Kelly 
I  certainly  never  said  there  was  any  advantage  taken  of  me,  but 
declare  that  his  conduct  in  that  transaction  as  well  as  in  respect  to 
his  account  for  the  same  was  perfectly  correct,  and  such  as  after  full 
deliberation  and  reflection  I  gave  him  securities  for,  agreeable  to 
that  account.  With  respect  to  yourself  I  cannot  but  in  common 
justice  say  that  ever  since  I  had  the  Honor  of  your  acquaintance  I 
believe  you  have  done  everything  in  your  power  to  endeavour  to 
promote  the  happiness  of  myself  and  family,  and  had  your  advice 
been  taken,  that  I  should  not  have  been  in  the  present  situation  I 
am,  but  free  from  Embarrassments  and  that  you  never  took  any 
advantage  of  me  in  any  pecuniary  transactions  or  otherwise  since 
our  acquaintance  which  I  believe  is  upwards  of  twenty  years. 

I  remain,  sir, 

Y'  obedient  humble  serv*, 

DONEGALL. 


HI 

From  Colonel  O'Kelly  to  the  Earl  of  Massareene, 

DoNEGALL  Arms,  Belfast,  16  Sept.  18 14. 

My  Lord, 

Lest  your  Lordship  should   not  clearly  have  understood  the 

object   which    I   had   in   view   in    obtaining   from    the   Marquis  of 

Donegall  a  written  document  of  the  declarations  he  has  upon  all 

occasions  made  respecting  the  correct  &  honorable  Conduct  of  my 

256 


APPENDIX  G 

late  father  and  myself  as  to  every  transaction  between  us,  I  beg  leave 
to  assure  y'  Lordship  that  the  object  is  to  have  it  in  my  power 
to  show  such  document  to  those  of  my  friends  who  have  heard  the 
reports  to  our  prejudice  and  not  to  take  use  of  it  as  a  legal 
Instrument  satisfied,  from  what  y'  Lordship  has  done  me  the 
honor  to  communicate  to  me,  of  Lord  D.'s  honorable  Intentions 
towards  me  in  the  final  arrangement  of  my  claims. 

I  am,  &c., 

A  :  D  :  O' Kelly. 


IV 

PART  OF  LORD  DONEGAL  ACCOUNT  TO  PHILIP  O'KELLY 

1799.  £    s.  d. 
To  the  Keep  of  a  Brood  Mare  from  the   23rd  of  May  to 

the  7th  of  November  at  Grass    .  .         .  .  .880 

1800.  To  the  Keep  of  Recruits  Dam  from  the  7  th  of  September 

to  the  I  St  of  November,  with  a  foal  at  her  foot    .  .340 

To  the  Keep  of  Do.  from  the  ist  of  November  1800  to 

the  isth  of  May  1801  At  Hay  &c.  &c.       .  .  .      14   14     o 

To  the  Keep  of  Do.  from  the  15th  of  May  1801   to  the 

25lh  of  October 980 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Colt  foal  out  of  Recruits  Dam  from 

the  loth  October  1800  to  the  ist  of  May  1801  .     26     2     o 

To  the  Keep  of  Do.   rising  Two  years  old   in  a  loose 
Stable,  and  Paddock,  from  the  ist  of  May  to  the  17th 
of  September   .         .         .         .         •         •         .         .2100 
To  the  Keep  of  Do.  from  the   1 7th  of  September  to  the 

25th  of  October 5   15     6 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Colt  rising  two  years  old 
a  Brother  to  Vivaldi,  from  the  7th  of 
September  1800  to  the  loth  of  October, 
in  a  loose  Stable  and  Paddock  .  .  •  5  5  o 
-To  the  Keep  of  a  Colt  rising  Two  years 
old,  got  by  Precipitate,  out  of  Recruits  dam 
from  the  7  th  of  September  to  the  loth  of 
October     1800,    in    a    loose    Stable,    and 

Paddock 5     5° 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Precipitate  Colt  out  of  Equity  rising 
Two  years  old,  from  the  7  th  of  September  1800  to  the 
24th  of  April  1 80 1 34  13 


These  two  Colts  were 
sent  to  Epsom  on  the 
10th  October  1800 
to  be  broke  and  were 
brought  back  on  the 
17th  December ;  the 
charge  of  their  Keep, 
&c  during  the  above 
period  is  charged  in 
the  Epsome  Account. 


o 


257  R 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


£ 


To  the  Keep  of  a  Colt,  Brother  to  Vivaldi  from  the  17  th 
of  December  1800  to  the  17th  of  September  1801  in 
a  loose  Stable  and  Paddock        .         .         .         .  .40120 

To  the  Keep  of  Do.  from  the  17th  of  September  to  the 

25th  October 5156 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Precipitate  Colt  out  of  Recruits  dam, 
from  the  17th  of  December  1800  to  the  25th  of  October 
1 80 1,  in  a  loose  Stable,  and  Paddock  .         .         .     46     7     6 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Precipitate  filly  from  the  7  th  of  Sep- 
tember 1 800  to  the  1 5th  of  May  1 80 1  in  a  loose  Stable, 
and  Paddock   .  .         .  .         .  .         .  .1640 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Bachus  filly,  from  the  7  th  of  September 
1800  to  the  isth  of  May  1801  in  a  loose  Stable,  and 
Paddock  .  .         .         .         .         .         .         .      16     4     o 

To  the  Keep  of  the  Precipitate  filly  rising  three  years  old, 

from  the  15th  of  May  to  the  25th  of  October      .  .846 

To  the  Keep  of  the  Bachus  filly  from  the  15  th  May,  to 

the  25th  of  October 846 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Brood  Mare  (Betsey)  from  the  22nd  of 

May  to  the  25  th  October 7    17     6 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Colt  rising  Two  years  old  out  of  Betsey 
from  the  2nd  of  June  to  the  25th  of  October  in  a  loose 
Stable  and  Paddock 1 8   1 5     6 

Paid  a  Man  for  taking  a  Bay  Colt,  out  of  Equity  two 
years  old,  to  Newmarket,  his  expenses,  and  the  Keep  of 
the  Colt 330 

Paid  a  Colt  Breaker  for  Do.  at  Newmarket      .         .         .220 

Training  Do.  from  the  3rd  of  May  1801,  to  the  2Sth  of 

October  .  .         .  .         .         .         .         .         .     56     5     o 

To  the  Keep  of  a  Bay  Horse  (Antrim)  from  the  5th  of 

August  1800  to  the  5th  of  April  1801         .  .         .     36     9     o 

To  the  Training  of  Do.  from  the  6th  of  April  to  the  i8th 

of  August  1801         .  .  .         .         .         .  .     42    15     o 

To  the  Keep  of  Antrim  from  the   1 8th  of  August  to  the 

2Sth  of  October  1801        .         .  .         .         .         .     10   10     o 

V 

COPY  OF  ACCOUNT  AS  REDUCED 

The  Marquis  of  Donegall 

D"".  to  Andrew  Dennis  O'Kelly 
as  Administrator  of  Philip  O'Kelly,  deceased. 

Estimating  the  Account  as  proposed  by  the  Marquis,  and  receiving  only  double 
the  original  Sum  as  secured  by  a  Post-obit  Mortgage  and  Bond,  viz ; 
Instead  of  7350  accepting  5300  £  £     s.    d. 

1792.  To  a  Mare  covered  by  Dungannon     .         .  .         .  21     o     o 

1793.  To  a  Mare  covered  by  Dungannon     .        '.         .         .  21     o     o 

258 


APPENDIX  G 


I79S 


1796 


1796 
1796 


1799 


To  a  Mare's  keep  from  15  Aug.  1792  to  25  Jan.  1794 

For  the  Sweepstakes  .... 

To  a  Mare  covered  by  Dungannon     . 

To  a  Mare  covered  by  Anvil 

To  Cash  paid  Mr.  Hancock  Attorney  for  dec"* 

To  a  Mare's  keep  from  3  Feb.  1795  to  15  Nov. 

To  a  Mare's  keep  from  22  Ap'  1795  to  15  Nov. 

To  a  Mare  covered  by  Dungannon     . 

To  Cash  paid  for  you  to  Lord  Egremont    . 

Due  from  a  poney  Race    .... 

To  Cash  paid  for  you  to  Sir  F.  Standish     . 

To  Cash  paid  to  Mess"  J.  Anson  &  Harpur  for  Bonds, 
post-obits  and  Leases    .... 

Jan.  S-     To  post  obit       .... 

To  interest  on  the  above  Sum  from  the  5th  of  January 
1799  the  day  of  the  death  of  the  late  Marquis  of 
Donegall  to  the  5th  of  May  1805   the  day  of  the 

death  of  Mr.  P.  O'Kelly 

To  two  Bonds  dated  22  Sept.  1794  for 

550  ^  each    .  .  .  .  .      iioo     o     o 

To  Int.  thereon  to  5  Jan.  1800    .         .       290   14     i 


1390   14     I 
1800.  Jan.    nth.      By   Cash  received 
by  two  Dra's  due  this  day,  accepted 
by     the     Marquis      of      Donegall's 
Bankers  .....     1000     o     o 

To  Interest  on  the  above  balance  from  5  Jan^  1800 

to    5  May  1805    . 

Carried  over     . 


£ 
26 

10 

15 
10 

2 

32 

28 

15 

105 

21 

52 

35 

5300 


10 

15 

10 

12 

4 

13 

IS 

o 

o 

10 

4 
o 


d. 

o 
o 
o 
o 
6 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 

7 
o 


167S     6     8 


39°  14  I 

104  o  o 

^7871  2  10 

7821  7  10 


Bro*^  over 
1799.  June  5.     Received   on  account  a 

debenture  of      .         .         .  .         .     _;^iooo     o     o 

By  Interest  due  thereon  to  5  May  1805  .  295   16     8       1295   16     8 

;£652S    II      2 
1804.    Paid    the   Costs    of  Suit    instituted   by   yourself  and 
Trustees  in  the  Court  ot  Chancery  against  the  late 
P.  O'Kelly  Esq'  to  Mess"^  Richards  and  Marnell, 
see  their  Bills 3"      7     9 


Yrs.     Ms. 
.Interest  thereon  to  Sept.  5,  1814,     9         4 


6836   18   II 
3190    12      o 

_;^I0027      10      II 


259 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


1791. 
1792. 
1796. 
1800. 


1799. 
1800. 
1801. 
1814. 


o 

15 

o 
10 


Due  to  And.  D.   O'Kelly  Esq.  on  his  own  Account 

as  follows, 
Money  secured  upon  Acco'  signed  June  18 13    . 
Interest  on  this  Sum  to  Sept.  1814    . 
Sums  omitted  in  the  above  signed  Acco'  viz  : 
Cash  lent  to  the  Marquis  at  Chesterfield  2 1 

Do.  Do.  at  Derby     .  15 

Do.  Do.     .  .         .  .  20 

Paid  the  amount  of  the  first  Execution  104 

Sums  omitted  in  the  above  Acco',  altho'  the  Items  are 

inserted  therein,  viz  : 
To  the  Stable-keeper  at  the  bottom  of  Engine  Street 

Piccadilly     ....... 

Paid  the  Wages  of  the  Boys  under  Sutton  at  Epsom 

To  30  Head  of  Deer  at  4  G^  per  head 

July.     Cash  to  Chiffney    . 

Interest  on  these  Sums  to  Sept.  18 14 

A  year's  Rent  for  premises  at  Epsom 

Further  Dilapidations  at  Epsom 


£ 


8196 
2986 


12 
19 


161  s 


45 

60 

126 

50 
196 

105 
2650 


o 
o 
o 
o 

14 

o 
o 


^24605  I  I 


VI 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  PHILIP  O'KELLY'S  ESTATE  BY 
A.  D.  O'KELLY,  1792  TO  1817 


1792. 


1794- 


Paid    to    George   Croking   for 

Ld.  Donegal 
Purchase  of  horses    . 


398 
3750 


2 
o 


d. 

I 
o 


Interest  on  above  for  23  years  and  3 
months,  with  insurance  and  costs  . 

VII 


7289     7   It 
;^ii437    10     o 


AMONG  ITEMS  IN  OTHER  OF  LORD  BELFAST'S  BILLS 

TO  THE  O'KELLYS  ARE,  from  1799  TO  1802 

£    s.    d. 
Wages     paid    for     coachman   hired    for 

Lady  Belfast     . 

A  black  mare  called  Bell 

Sam  Chifney's  bill 

Paid  Larken  at  Oxford    . 

Stakes  for  Trifle 

260 


. 

27    0 

0 

. 

52  10 

0 

. 

209    0 

0 

. 

25  10 

0 

10  10 

0 

APPENDIX  G 


£ 


315 

0 

0 

35 

0 

0 

20 

0 

0 

30  head  of  deer  sent  from  Cannons  to 
West  Wycombe  Park 

The  horse  Wrangler        .... 

Cash  at  Brighton     ..... 

Cash  in  London       ..... 

A  carriage  for  Lady  Belfast,  and  coach- 
builder  repairing  same      .         .         .  

A  coach-house  at  Wycombe    .         .         .  18   12     6 

Paid  you  30  gs.  to  return  me  500  gs. 
every  time  you  made  a  match  at 
horse-racing  or  lost  more  at  any  one 
time  at  cards  or  otherwise  than 
200 gs.,  and  which  you  have  forfeited 
fifty  times  since         .         .  •         .  31    10     o 


VIII 
NOTES  FROM  VARIOUS  MANUSCRIPTS 

[A]  The    Debts   of    the  Marquis   of  Donegal  to   A.    D.    O'Kelly 

Administrator  of  Philip  O'Kelly,  amounted  to  over  .1^37,000, 
in  an  account  of  their  transactions  from  1792  to  18 16. 

[B]  The    Debts   of   Lord    Donegall  from   1791  to    18 14  amounted 

to  ;!f6i7,524,  for  which  judgment  was  given  against  him  in 
the  Courts  of  Exchequer,  Common  Pleas,  and  King's  Bench. 
Among  these  occur  ;^i4,7oo  to  Philip  O'Kelly  in  1794  ; 
;if20,ooo  to  W".  Whaley  in  1794,  and  another  ;^  12,000  in 
1797;  .;^6ooo  in  1803  to  Edward  May,  to  whom  Andrew 
D.  O'Kelly  had  to  write  for  an  apology,  and  another  ;^5,8oo 
in  1804  ;  .^627  I9J-.  to  Sir  John  Lade  in  1806,  and  another 
;^97i  in  181 1  ;  W".  Whaley  had  another  debt  of  ;^4,337 
owing  in  1808,  and  assigned  a  debt  of  ;^630  (dated  1795)  to 
"  Arthur  Guinness,  Brewer." 

[C]  In    1 8 16  A.    D.   O'Kelly  stated   Lo.   Donegall's  debts    to    be 

(among  others)  Delapidations  on  Epsom  Estate  com- 
promised at  i^4747,  British-Irish  ;^5i42  115.  8d.,  and 
Sparks'  Annuity  ^4253,  British-Irish  ^4607  8.?.  ^d. 

261 


APPENDIX  H 


TWO-PENNY  POST-OFFICE 

The  enclosed  has  been  opened  by  the  proper  Officer,  and  is  returned  to  you  for 
the  Reason  assigned  thereon. 

C.   Walcot,  Comptroller. 

E.  Johnson,  Dep"  Comptroller. 

REGULATIONS. 

There  are  Two  Principal  Offices,  One  in  the  General  Post-Office  Yard,  Lombard 
Street,  and  the  Other  in  Gerrard  Street,  Soho.  There  are,  besides,  numerous 
Receiving  Houses  for  Letters,  both  in  Town  and  Country. 

There  are  SIX  Collections  and  Deliveries  of  Letters  in  Town  daily  (Sundays 
excepted)  and  there  are  Two  Dispatches /row  and  Three  Deliveries  at  most  Places  in 
the  Country,  within  the  Limits  of  this  Office. 

The  Hours  by  which  Letters  should  be  put  into  the  Receiving  Houses  in  Town 
for  each  Delivery,  are  as  follow : 


Over  Night  by 
Morning 


Afternoon 


For  Delivery  in  TOWN. 

Delivery 

8  o'clock  for  the  First 

8         .         .         Second 

lo  .  .  Third 

12  .         .         Fourth 

2  .  .  Fifth 

5  .         .         Sixth 


For  Delivery  in  the  COUNTRY. 

Delivery 
The  preceding  Evening  by  5  o'Clock  for  the  First 
Morning  .         .  .     8         .         .  Second 

Afternoon  ...  .     2  .  .         Third 

But  Letters,  whether  for  Town  or  Country,  may  be  put  in  at  either  of  the  Two 
Principal  Offi  ces  Three  Quarters  of  an  Hour  later  for  each  Dispatch. 

262 


APPENDIX  H 

Letters  put  in  on  Saturday  Evenings  are  delivered  in  the  Country  on  Sunday 
Morning. 

The  dated  Stamp,  or  if  there  are  Two,  that  having  the  latest  Hour,  shews  also 
the  Time  of  the  Day  by  which  Letters  are  dispatched  for  Delivery  from  the  Principal 
Offices. 

The  Postage  of  a  Letter  from  any  Part  of  this  Delivery,  to  any  other  Part  of  it, 
whether  Town  or  Country,  as  also  the  Postage  of  this  Office  on  each  Letter  passing 
to  or  from  the  General  or  Foreign  Post-Offices,  is  Two-pence. 

The  Two-penny  Postage  of  all  Letters,  such  as  are  for  Parts  out  of  His  Majesty's 
Dominions  excepted,  may  or  may  not  be  paid  at  putting  in,  at  the  Option  of  the 
Senders. 

No  Two-penny  Post  Letter  must  weigh  more  than  Four  Ounces. 

The  Delivery  of  this  Office  includes  all  Places  within  the  following  Circle,  which 
is  also  inclusive. 

In  KENT — Woolwich ;  Plumstead  ;  Shooter's  Hill ;  Eltham  ;  Mottingham  ; 
South-End ;  Lewisham  ;  Beckenham  ;  and  Sydenham. 

In  SURRY — Croydon ;  Beddington  ;  Carshalton  ;  Mitcham  ;  Morden ;  Merton  ; 
Wimbledon  ;  Ham  ;  Petersham  ;  and  Richmond. 

In  MIDDLESEX  and  HARTS— Twickenham  ;  Teddington ;  Hampton;  Sun- 
bury  ;  Whitton  ;  Isleworth  ;  Brentford  ;  Ealing  ;  Hanwell ;  Wembly ;  Willsdon  ; 
Kingsbury ;  The  Hyde  :  Mill  Hill ;  Highwood  Hill ;  Totteridge ;  Whetstone ;  East 
Barnet ;  Southgate ;  Winchmore  Hill ;  and  Enfield. 

In  ESSEX — Chinkford ;  Loughton  ;  Chigwell  and  Row  ;  Barking  Side ;  Chad- 
well  ;  and  Barking. 

Cash,  in  Gold  or  Silver,  or  other  Articles  of  Value  enclosed  in  Letters  (Notes  or 
Drafts  for  Money  excepted)  to  be  mentioned  to  the  Office-keeper  at  putting  in ;  but 
Bank  Notes  or  others,  payable  to  Bearer,  to  be  cut  in  Half,  and  the  Second  Part  not 
to  be  sent  till  the  Receipt  of  the  First  is  acknowledged. 

This  Office  is  not  liable  to  make  good  the  Loss  of  any  Property  sent  by  Post. 

Persons  having  Occasion  to  complain  of  Delay  in  the  Delivery  of  their  Letters, 
are  requested  to  send  the  Covers  inclosed,  in  a  Line  to  the  Comptroller  or  Deputy- 
Comptroller,  stating  the  precise  Time  of  Delivery ;  as  the  dated  Stamp  will  assist 
materially  in  discovering  where  the  Neglect  lies. 

It  is  respectfully  requested,  that  Persons  receiving  Letters  will  not  detain  the 
Letter  Carriers  at  their  Doors  longer  than  can  be  possibly  avoided. 

N.B.  Letters  for  this  Delivery  are  frequently  by  Mistake  put  into  the  General 
Post,  by  which  Means  they  are  unavoidably  delayed ;  it  is  therefore  recommended 
that  they  be  put  into  the  Two-penny  Post-Offices  or  Receiving  Houses,  in  order  that 
they  may  be  regularly  forwarded  by  their  proper  Conveyance. 

November  20,  1804. 

PRINTED     BY     HENRY    TEAPE,    TOWER     HILL,    FOR    HIS     MAJESTY'S    STATIONARY-OFFICE. 

The  above  is  endorsed  as  follows  : — 

"  Mr  Rally 

77  Piccadilly. 

Myjetter  to  Mr.  Craven,  directed  as  he  desired  but  refused  to  be  taken  in. 
April  1803." 

263 


APPENDIX  J 

ANDREW  O'KELLY'S  DIARY— THE  BURIAL  OF 

NELSON— JANUARY  1-13,  1806 

ist.  Went  to  Cannons  in  the  Chaise  with  James — saw  all  the 
families.  Went  to  Wood's  Cottage — his  wife  and  Mrs  Pollicat  [?] 
preparing  a  dinner  for  the  workpeople  withoiit  my  orders.  Gave  him 
an  order  to  send  ten  sheep  to  Lord  Ranelagh,  Gave  Mrs 
Mordark  [?]  five  pounds  on  account  of  Wages  and  Board.  Brought 
a  Gown  to  Charlotte  Wood.  Returned  to  town,  saw  my  own 
family  with  affection.  Went  to  Mr  Ankin  [.-"j  to  dinner.  Const, 
Doct'.  Cock,  and  Mrs  F.  Ankin  of  the  Party  staid  supper. 

2nd.  Went  to  Piccadilly,  afterwards  to  Cannons.  Drank  tea  and 
spent  the  evening  at  Mrs  Burshall's  [.'']  with  all  the  neighbourhood 
who  were  invited  to  a  Dance.  I  declined  dancing  till  after  supper, 
and  then  only  a  minuet  &  jig  with  Rebecca.  Plaid  at  Cards. 
Mrs  Burshall's  little  Girl  to  whom  I  was  to  stand  godfather,  was 
christen'd  privately  by  Mr  Devile  before  I  arrived. 

3rd.  Staid  at  Cannons  but  did  not  go  out  of  the  House,  it  being 
a  very  wet  day,  the  whole  of  which  I  was  occupied  arranging  Papers 
out  of  the  Iron  Chest.  Received  a  message  from  Col.  Lindsay  that 
he  would  be  at  Home  from   1 1  till  2  o'clock  the  next  day  and  would 

be  glad  to  see  me.     [ ]  at  Home.     Gave  a  Draft  for  £2  13^.  \d. 

to  the  Poor  in  the  Almshouse  of  Whitchurch. 

4th.  Saw  Col.  Lindsay,  informed  him  that  several  letters  had 
been  address'd  to  him  by  Mr  Richards  &  Mr  Morgan  his  own 
Solicitor,  neither  of  whom  had  received  any  answer,  and  that  my 
only  business  with  him  was  to  request  he  would  send   an  answer 

264 


APPENDIX  J 

immediately  to  Mr  Morgan  which  would  determine  the  line  of 
conduct  I  should  pursue  respecting  the  money  due  to  me,  as  I  had 
made  such  an  offer  that  no  man  of  honor  or  principal  could  refuse. 
He  said  he  had  not  heard  of  it,  but  in  a  few  minutes  conversation  he 
admitted  he  had,  and  that  he  was  given  to  understand  that  I 
expected  him  to  pay  a  Rent  for  the  House  which  he  declared  he 
never  would.  I  instantly  got  up  and  observed  that  if  that  was  his 
determination  after  all  my  forbearance  and  the  many  sacrifices  I 
had  made  to  prevent  litigation,  I  was  sorry  I  had  suffered  myself 
to  be  trifled  with  so  long  ;  that  as  this  declaration  put  an  end  to  all 
further  treaty  on  the  subject  between  us,  I  should  now  proceed  with- 
out further  delay,  and  wishing  him  a  good  morning  I  immediately 
left  the  house  and  went  over  to  Mr  Burshall  to  request  he  would 
inform  me  of  the  least  offensive  mode  of  distraining  for  the  Rent  as 
I  was  determined  to  do  so  immediately  ;  but  Mr  Burshall  being 
from  home  I  went  to  Cannons,  and  whilst  the  Horse  was  putting  to, 
Col.  Lindsay  call'd  in  his  way  to  the  priory  to  request  I  would  meet 
him  and  his  attorney  at  Mr  Richards  on  Tuesday  at  4,  which  I  declined 
but  consented  to  wait  till  after  that  day  in  order  to  give  his  attorney 
another  opportunity  of  settling  the  business  with  Mr  Richards.  I 
proceeded  immediately  to  town.  Met  Mr  Burshall  on  the  Road 
who  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  the  next  day.  Arrived  in 
town  at  five,  dressed  and  went  to  Doct""  Cock's  to  dinner.  Const, 
Ankin. 

The  Doct"'  went  out  for  an  hour.  Mr.  Ankin  and  I  went  to  join 
his  family  at  the  Play  at  Covent  Garden,  Eliza  there  for  the  first 
time.  Mr  Ankin  and  I  went  to  the  Percy  [?]  to  meet  Const  and  the 
Doct'.     Gave  a  draught  for  five  pounds. 

5th.  Call'd  at  Mr  Atkinson's,  not  at  home. 

Went  to  Edgware  to  dine  with  Mr  Burshall,  only  the  family 
at  dinner,  communicated  everything  to  him  respecting  Col.  Lindsay's 
conduct,  which  he  said  could  not  on  any  principal  be  defended  ;  he 
promised  to  see  him  the  next  morning  and  advise  him  to  agree  to 
the  terms  I  proposed.  Went  up  to  Cannons  for  the  agreements 
which  I  shewed  with  Col.  Lindsay's  first  letter  to  Mr  James  which 
convinced  Mr  B.  that  all  I  had  stated  on  the  subject  was  correct. 
Call'd  upon  the  Newgents,  mentioned  the  business  to  them  and 
returned  to  town  at  12  o'clock. 

265 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

6th.  Call'd  at  Mr  Atkinson's  ;  they  were  gone  out.  Saw 
Miss  A.,  staid  with  her  an  Hour,  an  interesting  conversation. 
Promised  to  procure  Tickets  for  them  to  see  Lord  Nelson's 
Funeral ;  received  a  note  from  Mr  Atkinson  on  the  subject,  call'd 
upon  him  soon  after  and  found  them  at  dinner  ;  promised  to  call  in 
the  morning.  Went  to  dinner  with  Mr  Richards  ;  Const  Morgan 
Pedder  and  3  other  gentlemen  of  the  party  with  Mrs  Richards, 
staid  till  II,  went  to  the  Percy  with  Const. 

7th.  Called  upon  Mr  Atkinson,  informed  him  I  had  procured 
places  for  him  at  Somerset  House  to  see  the  Remains  of  Lord 
Nelson  brought  by  water  to  Whitehall  stairs.  He  ordered  his 
Carriage  and  we  went  accompanied  by  Norton  (who  Mr  A.  had 
sent  for  to  prepare  a  proper  dress  to  go  with  us  to  S'  Paul's  on 
Thursday)  to  the  Herald's  office  for  our  Tickets,  which  we  got, 
and  Mr  Bickland  promised  to  have  ready  for  me  (at  the  request 
of  Lord  Ranelagh)  4  more  by  6  in  the  evening.  Return'd  with 
Mr  Atkinson  to  the  Strand,  where  we  set  Norton  down  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Globe  insurance  office  where  Mr  Atkinson  paid  £'j$ 
to  Mr  Denham  for  a  Policy  o  f  insurance  on  his  House  No.  i 
Harley  Street  for  seven  years.  He  set  me  down  in  Oxford  Street. 
I  called  at  Fladden's  Hotel,  saw  Will  Ingram,  talked  to  him  about 
the  dear  Eliza  his  sister,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  two  years,  and 
was  affraid  to  write  to  her,  but  now  that  he  had  a  subject  to  write 
upon  which  he  knew  would  please  her  he  would  do  it  directly  and 
shew  me  her  answer.  Went  to  Mr  Richard's,  found  him,  Col. 
Lindsay  &  his  Solicitor  in  debate  on  the  Subject  of  our  concerns 
which  ended  in  their  proposing  an  arbitration  which  Richards 
thought  might  be  put  in  a  way  to  prevent  further  litigation,  to  which 
I  readily  consented.  Went  to  S*  Paul's  to  hear  the  rehearsal  of 
the  Music  for  the  interment  of  Lord  Nelson,  saw  Mr  Bickland  & 
Mr  Bishop  the  King's  proctor,  promised  to  meet  him  at  the  Percy  ; 
called  at  Somerset  House  upon  Mrs  Frodsham  the  Housekeeper, 
who  very  obligingly  at  the  instance  of  her  four  fine  Daughters  gave 
me  2  Tickets  of  admission  for  Messrs  Atkinson  &  Ankin's  families, 
and  having  in  conversation  said  that  she  was  distressed  in  being 
disappointed  in  particular  provisions  for  the  entertainment  of  her 
friends  the  next  day,  I  without  her  knowledge  went  to  Bridgman's 
and  ordered  a  Guinea  twelfth  Cake  to  be  sent  to  her  early  the  next 

266 


APPENDIX  J 

morning.  Went  to  the  Percy,  gave  Mr  Ankin  his  Ticket,  staid 
ill  2,  supped  and  went  to  bed. 

8th.  Call'd  on  the  Atkinsons.  He  ordered  the  Carriage  to  be 
ready  at  12  to  take  us  to  Somerset  House.  I  went  there  to 
ascertain  the  Hour  the  Procession  was  Hkely  to  pass  by  when  Mrs 
Frodsham  poHtely  press'd  me  to  bring  the  Ladies  to  her  apartments 

which  I  promised  to   do.     Saw  Mr  Cobb  ;  called  at  the  [ ]  and 

got  a  mourning  sword  for  Mr  Atkinson,  return'd  to  his  House  at 
I"  past  one  but  he  was  gone  leaving  a  message  for  me  that  he  had 
waited  an  hour  and  was  gone  to  the  first  invitation  he  had  received. 
I  return'd  to  Mr  Ankin's,  found  them  getting  into  the  carriage. 
The  Ladies  went  on  to  Mrs  Frodsham's  and  Mr  Ankin  and  I 
follow'd  on  foot.  Most  kindly  received  by  the  family  and  elegantly 
entertain'd,  upwards  of  forty  in  the  party  ;  saw  Miss  Brack  on  the 
Terrace,  to  whom  Mr  Bouvery  gave  two  Tickets  for  S'  Paul's. 
Returned  after  seeing  the  procession  with  Mr  Ankin  in  my  Chaise 
— a  violent  storm  of  Hail.  Call'd  on  the  Atkinsons  ;  they  explained 
the  cause  of  their  CToin^  before  I  returned  :  crave  them  two  Tickets  for 
S*  Paul's  which  they  afterwards  gave  to  Norton  to  be  sent  to  the  God- 
freys, they  having  received  two  from  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln.  Returned 
to  Mr  Ankin  to  dinner,  delivered  a  message  to  Miss  Ankin  from 
Mrs  Atkinson  requesting  the  pleasure  of  her  company  to  S'  Paul's 
which  her  father  at  length  consented  she  should  accept,  gave  her  a 
Ticket  and  sent  two  others  to  Mr  Farquar  of  Portland  Place. 
Call'd  at  the  Percy,  got  an  order  from  Mr  Hewit  the  Banker  for 
4  Places  at  a  Hatter's  in  Ludgate  Hill  to  see  the  Procession, 
return'd  to  Mr  Ankin  with  them.  Call'd  at  the  Atkinsons  to  inform 
them  Miss  Ankin  would  go  to  S'  P. 

9th.  Up  at  5,  Dress'd  and  went  to  Mr  Atkinson's  to  Breakfast  with 

Norton  and  a  Mr  [ ].     Went  to  Hide  park  at  Seven  (We 

were  the  first  Carriage)  few  in  the  Park  till  8  o'clock   when   the 

Heron  [?]  Carriage  arrived  and  drove  up  before  ours — soon  after  the 

four   Eldest   Captains,  viz. :    Alezander  Hood    Gardener    &c.    in    a 

mourning    Coach    drove    up    alongside    of  us.       I    conversed   with 

Gardener  &c.      O'Laughland  commanded  one  detachment  of  the 

Horse  Guards  and  Stewart  the  other  in  the  Park.     The  Duke  of 

Kent  pass'd  to  Carlton  House  at  9  o'clock,  the  D.  of  York  arrived 

in  the  Park  attended  by  all  the  staff  soon  after  and  gave  directions 

267 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

for  the  orders  in  which  the  carriages  were  to  proceed ;  we  were 
ordered  to  move  first,  but,  expecting  Lord  Nelson's  Carriage  to  go 
on,  6  or  8  carriages  who  were  also  ordered  to  move  on  drove  before 
us  ;  we  then  followed  and  halted  near  the  Princes  Gate  who  in 
about  half  an  Hour  came  out  of  His  Mews  attended  by  seven 
carriages  and  six  belonging  to  his  Brothers  who  were  not  on  Horse 
Back.  I  conversed  with  Col.  Piggot  who  commanded  the  14th 
Light  Dragoons  situated  near  the  Mews. 

The  Troops  Horse  &  Foot  to  the  amount  of  7  or  8  thousand  on 
The  Parade  now  began  to  file  off,  a  most  beautiful  sight,  and  at  1 2 
we  pass'd  through  the  Horse  Guards  and  proceeded  in  Procession 
to  S'  Paul's  where  we  alighted  and  Took  our  Post  at  the  head  of  the 
Esq"  and  next  to  the  Herald  and  the  oldest  Capt"  who  carried  the 
standard.  It  was  most  Piercing  Cold  until  we  got  into  the  Cathedral 
and  we  were  an  Hour  before  we  moved  farther  than  the  Dome. 
There  we  Halted  until  the  Corpse  arrived  ;  the  Prince,  who  was 
extremely  affected,  was  conducted  into  the  vestry  where  he  waited  the 
arrival  of  the  Body,  which  as  soon  as  it  was  announced  he  with  the 
Bishops  returned  to  the  West  gate  and  fell  into  the  Procession  which 
now  moved  slowly  on  to  the  Choir. 

The  Lord  Mayor  and  the  Court  of  Aldermen  first  took  their  seats 
and  occupied  all  the  stalls  on  the  North  side  of  the  Choir  ;  the  Bishop 
of  Lincoln,  the  Dean  of  S'  Paul's  seated  himself  in  the  center  stall  on  the 
South  side  opposite  the  Lord  Mayor;  the  Nobility  were  next  conducted 
on  each  side  of  him,  but  to  my  utter  astonishment  and  to  the  everlasting 
disgrace  of  those  who  had  the  arranging  of  the  places,  none  were 
provided  for  the  Prince  and  his  six  brothers  who  were  left  standing 
in  the  middle  of  the  Choir  looking  about  to  see  where  they  could  sit 
down,  until  at  last  a  young  man  dress'd  in  black,  who  I  afterwards 
understood  was  Sir  Isaac  Herd's  Clerk,  went  up  to  the  Prince  and 
told  him  he  would  conduct  him  to  his  seat  but  he  certainly  did  not 
know  where  that  seat  was  having  led  the  Prince  up  and  down  the 
Choir  and  at  length  placed  him  in  the  upper  stall  on  the  same  side 
the  Bishop  sat  on  ;  the  Duke  of  York  and  Clarence  followed  the 
Prince  seeing  two  or  three  vacant  seats  next  to  where  the  Prince 
was  placed,  the  Duke  of  Clarence  took  one  of  them  and  the  Duke 
of  York  was  returning  to  his  other  brothers  who  were  still  looking 
round  them  to  see  where  they  should  go,  but  the  Prince  call'd  to  the 

268 


APPENDIX  J 

Duke  of  York  who  return'd  and  took  the  other  unoccupied  seat  next 

the  Prince  ;  and  this  young  man  then  pointed  to  two  small  seats  at 

each  side  of  the  door  to  which  the  four  brothers  return'd  two  on  each 

side,   the   Duke   of  Sussex  and    Duke  of  Kent  in  the  one  on  the 

rig-ht  commino-  into  the  Choir  and  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  and 

Duke  of  Cambridge  in  the  one  on  the  left.    The  Naval  officers  were 

conducted  to  the  seats  in  the  Body  of  the  Choir,  and  all  the  General 

Officers  and  staff  attending  upon  the  Princes  were  left  standing  near 

the  Door  until  the  Prince  seeing  them  in  this  situation  beckoned  to 

them  to  come  on,  which  they  immediately  did  in  a  body  and  placed 

themselves  opposite  the  Prince  but  did  not  sit  down  until  the  Service 

began.    The  Lord  Mayor  and  Aldermen  kept  their  seats  and  quietly 

looked  on  at  this  extraordinary  conduct,  which  shocked  me  so  much 

that  I    immediately  left  the   Gallery  appropriated   for  the    foreign 

Ambassadors,  (into  which  Mr  Atkinson,  Mr  Lubbock,  the  Banker, 

with  two  other  gentlemen  and  myself  were  conducted  by  mistake) 

and  went  down  to  one  of  the  Heralds  who  during  the  course  of  the 

day  was  particularly  attentive  to  me  and  my  party,  pointed  out  to  him 

what  I  had  observed  and  asked  him  the  cause  of  such  neglect  to  the 

Royal  party  ;  he  e.xpress'd  the  most  marked  disapprobation  of  it,  and 

said  it  was  all  Sir  1.  Herd's  fault,  who   not  being  able  to  attend 

himself  neglected  to  appoint  one  of  the  Heralds  who  of  course  were 

the  proper  persons  to  officiate  for  him,  but  left  the  whole  of  the 

business  to  his  Clerk  who  was  the  cause  of  the  procession  being 

delayed  two  hours  longer  than  it  was  necessary  in  the  Park.     Mr 

Sheridan   who  was  close  by  me  and  overheard  this  conversation, 

observed  to  me  that  he  never  was  more  shocked  in  his  life  to  see  the 

Prince  and  his  brothers  treated  with  so  much  neglect,  particularly  by 

the  Lord  Mayor  &c. 

The  Bishop  now  proceeded  with  the  Service  which  lasted  about 

an  hour  and  three  quarters  in  the  Choir,  when  the  Lord  Mayor  and 

Aldermen  as  before  proceeded  first  to  the  grave  where  seats  were 

provided    for   them.      The    Princes   with   the    Bishops   and  other 

Dignatories  of  S'    Paul's   and    the    Nobility  followed   and   placed 

themselves   opposite   the   Lord    Mayor  but  remained  on  foot,  the 

Corpse  under  a  Canopy  followed  by  the  Rest  of  the  Procession  was 

now  brought  to  the  grave  prepared  in  the  Center  of  the  Dome  and 

placed  on  a  machine  over  the  grave  ;  then  the  Bishop  from  a  Desk, 

269 


ECLIPSE  AND  0'K.ELLY 

prepared  at  the  head  of  the  grave  for  him  and  the  other  Dignatories, 
read  the  funeral  service  and  the  requiem  was  sung  by  the  whole 
quire  accompanied  by  every  person  provided  with  a  Book  who  had 
the  power  of  utterance.  I  tried  (with  the  Prince  and  some  of  his 
Brothers  who  were  deeply  affected)  to  cry  it  as  well  as  I  could,  for 
my  Heart  was  then,  as  it  is  now,  so  deeply  affected  that  it  was  ready 
to  burst.  For  surely  never  was  and  most  probably  never  will  again 
be  witnessed  so  magnificently  grand,  sublime  and  affecting  a 
spectacle,  and  never  did  exist  a  man  who  so  well  deserved  the 
unexampled  Honors  paid  to  his  remains.  May  the  Almighty  God 
who  in  his  great  goodness  crown'd  his  efforts  in  the  service  of  his 
King  and  Country  with  unparalell'd  success,  grant  him  a  Crown  of 
Glory  in  the  Regions  of  bliss.  Whilst  the  Requiem  was  singing  the 
Machine  upon  which  the  Coffin  was  laid  was  so  constructed  as  to 
sink  almost  imperceptibly  into  the  grave  through  the  stone  work,  and 
on  its  being  arrived  at  the  bottom  the  Heralds  broke  their  staves 
and  threw  them  into  the  grave  which  closed  the  ceremony. 

The  eight  sailors  of  the  Victory  who  carried  the  Bier  and  the  one 
who  carried  the  Ensign  of  the  Victory  which  was  to  have  been 
dropped  into  the  grave  wept  most  bitterly,  and  instead  of  disposing 
of  the  Ensign  as  it  was  intended,  they,  at  the  request  of  the  People, 
who  got  to  the  grave  as  soon  as  the  Princes  retired,  cut  it  to  Pieces 
and  distributed  it  amongst  them,  particularly  to  some  of  the  Soldiers 
of  the  42"^  Reg'  who  had  with  them  the  [  ]  taken  from  the 

[  ]•     A  Trap  door  that  was  fitted  to  the  grave  was  now 

shut,  and  the  whole  of  Company  retired  in  sorrowful  silence.  Mr 
Atkinson  and  myself  got  Mrs  and  Miss  Atkinson,  with  Miss  Ankin 
down  from  their  seats  and  after  being  joined  by  Messrs  Norton  & 
Dyer,  we  all  got  into  Mr  Atkinson's  Coach  (which  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk  who  was  standing  at  the  Door  pointed  out  to  us  where  it 
was)  and  return'd  to  Mr  Atkinson's  to  Dinner  first  having  left  Miss 
Ankin  at  home.  After  Dinner  I  went  to  the  Percy  and  staid  with 
Mr  Ankin  till  2  o'clock,  and  after  setting  him  down  in  a  Coach  at  his 
own  house,  return'd  home  to  bed. 

loth.  Mr  Mrs  and  Miss  Atkinson  call'd  upon  me  and  Mrs  A. 
put  into  my  hand  five  pounds  and  requested  that  I  would  send  it  to 
Mr  Kent's  family  at  Edgware  whom  I  informed  her  the  day  before 
were  in  distress.     Call'd  in  Piccadilly,  dined  at  Leister  square,  call'd 

270 


APPENDIX  J 

in  Jerrard  S'.,  saw  Richards  resp^  Lindsay,  altered  the  term  of  the 
arbitration. 

Went  to  the  Percy,  found  Ankin,  Const,  Doc''  and  Cock,  talked 
of  Mrs  Atkinson's  bounty,  the  Doct"'  spoke  of  the  Kents  &  the 
Gore  S'  school,  got  one  pound  from  Const  and  another  from  Ankin 
for  the  Kents. 

nth.  Dined  at  home,  Sir  E.  Butler  call'd,  informed  me  he  could 
not  see  Ryan  and  was  obliged  to  return  to  the  Reg',  but  promised  to 
come  back  on  the  15th  and  finally  settle.  Went  to  the  Percy,  met 
Ankin,  the  Doct'  and  Brand  ;  the  Doct'^  very  severe  on  Brand  being  a 
little  cut.  Ankin  invited  the  Doct"'  and  I  to  dine  the  next  day  and 
to  go  with  me  if  it  was  fine  to  Cannons. 

1 2th.  Did  not  go  out  till  I  went  to  Ankins  to  dinner.  Const 
came  at  ten  in  the  evening  and  we  all  staid  supper.  Const  invited 
me  in  going  home  to  dine  with  him  the  next  day.  The  morning 
being  wet  Mr  Ankin  did  not  come.  I  wrote  a  letter  to  Mrs  Kent, 
enclosed  her  ten  pounds,  and  sent  James  with  it  on  Horseback  to 
Edgware.  He  returned  to  Mr  Ankin,  informing  me  he  put  it  into 
Mr  Kent's  hands,  but  brought  no  answer  from  him — but  a  note  from 
Mr  Andersons  inviting  me  to  dinner  on  Thursday  next. 

13th.  Call'd  in    Piccadilly  at  Mr  Bonner's;    at  the  Bankers  saw 

Mr  Middleton  ;    spoke  to   him  about   Lindsay  who  he  promised  to 

write  to,  to  take  up  his  bill  for  ;^200  overdue  ten  months  or  more ; 

got  from  him   Capt"  Best's   Bill  whose  furniture  is  to  be  sold  by 

auction  to-morrow,  spoke  to  him  about  Ryan's  Debt  to  the  House  ; 

he  agreed  at  my  recommendation  to  take  the  security  Ryan  offer'd 

and  to  pay  it  by  instalments  of  ^300  p.  annum  till  the  Debt  was  paid. 

I  observed  that  I  would  take  mine   in  the  same  way  if  I  could  not 

make  a  better  arrangement  with   Sir  E.  Butler  who  was  also  liable 

to  pay  me  having  receiv'd  the  money  in  a  most  dishonourable  way 

(as  Ryan  has  stated  in  writing  to  me)  for  my  acceptance,  which  Ryan 

states  he  only  confided   to    his    care  and  which  was  to  have  been 

returned  to  me  ;  but  they  are  both  implicated  as   Ryan   broke  his 

word  of  honour  to  me  in  suffering  it  to  go  out  of  his  hands  before  he 

return'd  it,  and  Butler  declares   he  gave  him  part  of  the  money  ! 

From  such  men  God  defend  me.     Promised  to  get  Mr  Middleton 

a  Box  at  Drury  Lane  to  see  the  [  ]    on  Thursday. 

Call'd  on  Richards,  consented  in  consequence  of  a  conversation  he 

271 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

had  with  Mr  Burshall  respecting  Lindsay  that  he  should  name  a 
sum  for  the  House  and  1 2  acres  for  the  remainder  of  the  Term  of 
21  years  which  I  fixed  at  ;C8o,  and  which  is  less  even  than  what 
Arbuck  [?]  paid  for  the  House. 

Dined  with  Const,  J.  Johnson  ;  and  Major  Downs,  of  the  S 
James  Volunteers,  came  in  before  we  were  half  done  dinner.  At 
7  o'clock  I  went  to  S*  James  to  meet  Ryan,  communicat'd  to  him 
what  pass'd  between  me  and  Butler  whom  he  much  abused,  ap- 
pointed to  meet  him  on  Wednesday  evening  in  the  City  and  bring 
Butler  with  me  if  he  return'd  at  six  o'clock  ;  communicated  what  I 
had  done  for  him  with  Mr  Middleton,  he  felt  much  obliged ; 
return'd  to  Const  and  party,  drank  a  good  deal  of  wine,  staid  after 
the  .... 


APPENDIX  K 

A  NEWGATE  CONFESSION 

Newgate 
20  Sep"  1 8 1 3 

I  James  Leary  having  received  the  Sacrament  &  being  now 
on  the  brink  of  eternity  do  hereby  most  solemnly  declare  that 
although  I  was  present  I  did  not  commit  the  murder  of 
Clifford. 

(Signed)    James  Leary. 

Sent  to  A.  D.  O'Kelly 

in  Half-Moon  Street,  on  Sepsis  1813  with  a  letter  from 
"  James  O'Brien,  R.C.  Curate,  Lismore,"  in  answer  to 
O' Kelly's  inquiries  as  to  whether  one  Slattery  received  the 
Sacrament  before  leaving  Ireland,  and  had  his  parents'  per- 
mission;  and  concerning  "that  unfortunate  female  Mrs. 
Burke  who  associated  with  the  more  unfortunate  Clifford 
who,  as  we  read  in  the  papers,  was  brutally  murdered." 


273 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


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274. 


APPENDIX  M 


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-Betty  Leedes 
-Snake 


C  Careless  by  Spanker  by 
<      D'Arcy-Yellow-Turk 
I  Sister  to  Leedes 
/The  Lister  Turk     ' 
\  Daughter  of  Hautboy 


(•Hautboy    by     D'Arcy- 
)      White  Turk  out  of  a 

\     Royal  Mare 
Miss  D'Arcy's  Pet  Mare 
-Hutton's  Bay  Barb — Imported 


-Grey  Wilkes 


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-Daughter  of 
-Bay  Bolton 

—Daughter  of 


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-",      Turk 

•-The  old  Clubfoot  Mare 

{Grey  Hautboy  by  Haut- 
boy 
Daughter  of  Makeless 

JFox  Cub  by  Clumsy  by 
i      Hautboy 
Daughter  of  Coneyskins 


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I     Fenwick  Barb 


_Sister  to  Old  j  Snake  by  Lister  Turk 

Country  Wench     \GreyWilkesbyHautboy 


— Snake 


/Lister  Turk 

1  Daughter  of  Hautboy 


("The  Ancaster  Turk 
-Squirrel's  Dam      -j  Granddaughter  of 
I     Pulleine  Arabian 


-Old  Montagu 


-Breeding  unknown 


-Daughter  of  {gautboy 


,er  of  Brimmer 


275 


APPENDIX   N 


The  produce  by  Eclipse  won  as  follows,  viz 


£      ^- 

In  1774 

1 

Winner 

won 

210  0 

1775 

9 

Winners 

won 

3.269  5 

1776 

IS 

>> 

6,418  15 

1777 

17 

I 

8,986  0 

1778 

23 

1 

9,410  10 

1779 

29 

} 

7.726    s 

1780 

28 

) 

10,637    0 

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26 

9 

11,539  10 

1782 

31 

) 

12,893  15 

1783 

29 

I 

13.914    5 

1784 

16 

I 

13.280  8 

1785 

21 

f 

8,961  5 

1786 

18 

J 

14,604  10 

1787 

19 

J 

15.288  5 

1788 

15 

9 

9,218  17 

1789 

14 

9 

4.417  5 

1790 

13 

9 

4.022  5 

1791 

10 

9 

1,744  10 

1792 

S 

9 

656  10 

1793 

I 

Winner 

won 

200  0 

1794 

2 

Winners 

won 

431  0 

1795 

I 

Winner 

won 

112  12 

1796 

I 

Winners  won 

105  0 

In  23  years 

344 

;,^iS8,047  12 

To  the  above  sums  must  also  be  added  the  following  : 

In  1779,  at  Newmarket,  the  Clermont  cup  and  subscription,  also 
the  October  cup,  by  Lord  Grosvenor's  PotSos. 
1779,  at  Salisbury,  the  City  silver  bowl,  by  Sir  H.  Feather- 
stone's  Empress. 

276 


APPENDIX  N 

1780,  at  Newmarket,  the  Clermont  cup  and  subscription,  the 
Jockey  Club  plate,  and  the  whip,  by  Lord  Grosvenor's 
PotSos. 

1 78 1,  at  Newmarket,  the  Jockey  Club  plate,  and  the  whip,  by 
Lord  Grosvenor's  PotSos. 

1 781,  at  Epsom,  Mr.  O'Kelly's  Young  Eclipse  received  a 
forfeit. 

1782,  at  Newmarket,  the  Clermont  cup,  and  Jockey  Club 
plate,  by  Lord  Grosvenor's  PotSos. 

17S3,  at  Newmarket,  the  whip,  by  PotSos. 

1785,  at  Oxford,  a  sweepstakes,  by  Mr.  O'Kelly's  General. 

1786,  at  Newmarket,  the  whip,  by  Mr.  O'Kelly's  Dun- 
gannon. 

1788,  at  Newmarket,  the  Jockey  Club  plate,  by  Mr.  O'Kelly's 
Gunpowder. 

17S9,  at  Newmarket,  the  Jockey  Club  plate,  by  Lord  Grosve- 
nor's Meteor. 


The  best  known  of  Eclipse's  sons  and  daughters  were  : 


Alexander 

General 

Princess 

Anna 

Gunpowder 

Queen  Mab 

Annette 

Horatia 

Ruth 

Augusta 

Isabella 

Saltram 

Bobtail 

Javelin 

Scota 

Boudrow 

Joe  Andrews 

Sergeant 

Crassus 

Jupiter 

Tiffany 

Don  Quixote 

King  Fergus 

Venus 

Dungannon 

Madcap 

Volunteer 

Everlasting 

Mercury 

Xantippe 

Empress 

Meteor 

Young  Eclipse 

Fanny 

Miss  Harvey 

Zara 

Firetail 

Pegasus 

Zilia 

Frenzy 

PotSos 

277 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


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^     — Eclipse,  by  Marska 

-Creeping  Polly,  by  Black  and  All  Black 

— Highflyer,  by  Herod 
— Monimia,  by  Matchem 

— Herod,  by  Tartar 
— Frenzy,  by  Eclipse 

I — Matchem,  by  Cade 

— Lass  of  the  Mill,  by  Oroonoko 

— Eclipse,  by  Marske 

— Sportsmistress  by  Sportsman 

-Herod,  by  Tartar 
-Dau.  of  Snap 

-Herod,  by  Tartar 
-Rachel,  by  Blank 

— PotSos  by  Eclipse 
— Manilla  by  Goldfinder 


-  SI  t^- 

■-I 


01 


278 


APPENDIX  O 


I— Eclipse 


o 


-Sportsmistress 


—Herod 


2 


-Lisette 


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Eclipse 


X 


& 


_Dau.  of  Tartar 


—Woodpecker,  by  Herod 


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3 


-Imperator 


£     l_Mare  by  Herod 


-Sir  Peter,  by  Highflyer,  by  Herod 


CQ     I Pyrrha 


279 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


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.        /-Walton   by  Sir  Peter — Arethusa  by 
-PartisanJ      Dungannon  {Eclipse) 

^  Parasol  by  PotSos  {Eclipse) 

Moses  by  Seymour  out  of  Dau.  of  Go- 
hanna  by  Mercury  by  Eclipse 
-Pauline  •{  Quadrille  by  Selim — Canary  Bird  by 
Sorcerer — Canary  by  Coriander  by 
PotSos  {Eclipse) 

■BlackIockbyWhitelock(£c/i/ise)— Dau. 
of  Coriander  by  PotSos  {Eclipse) 
— Voltaire  -(  Dau.  of  Phantom  (2  crosses  of  Eclipse) 
— Dau.  of  Overton  by  King  Fergus 
{Eclipse) 

|'BlacklockbyWhitelock(£(;/i/)K)— Dau. 
I      of  Coriander  by  PotSos  {Eclipse) 
— Belinda  i  Wagtail  by  Prime  Minister  by  Sancho 
1      by  Don  Quixote  by  Eclipse — Dau.  of 
\_     Orville  (a  crosses  of  Eclipse) 

I  Buzzard  by  Woodpecker — Misfortune 
— Castrel  \      by  Dux 

I  Dau.  of  Alexander  by  Eclipse 

j  Peruvian  by  Sir  Peter — Dau.  of  Bou- 
— Idalia     ^      drow  {Eclipse) 

(_  Musidora  by  Meteor  {Eclipse) 

r  Orville    by    Beningbrough    by    King 
Master    |       Fergus  {Eclipse) 
"Henry    "i  Miss  Sophia  by  Stamford  (by  Sir  Peter 
-Horatio  by  Eclipse) 


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Boa-        f  Alexander  by  Eclipse 
dicea       \  Brunette  by  Amaranthus 

/  Blacklock  by  Whitelock    {Eclipse)— 
Brutan-   |      Dau.  of  Coriander  {Eclipse) 
"dorf        "1  Dau.    of    Comus  by   Sorcerer — Mar- 
t     ciana  (2  crosses  of  Eclipse) 

.  (  Prime  Minister  {Eclipse) 

-Primetto|  ^iss  Paul  by  Sir  Paul— Dau.  of  Shuttle 

-Mulatto  -f  Cotton  (2  crosses  Eclipse) 

\  Desdemona  by  OrvilUe  {Eclipse) 


-Linda 


{Waterloo  {Eclipse) 
Cressida  by  Whisky  {Eclipse) 


-a- 
< 


Sir  Her-/  Whalebone  {Eclipse) 
"cules       \  Peri  (2  crosses  of  Eclipse) 


m 


_Guic- 
cioli 


-Clarion 


— Annette 


/  Bob  Booty  by  Chanticleer  {Eclipse) 
\  Flight  by  Irish  Escape 

Sultan  (2  crosses  of  Eclipse) 
Clara  by  Filho-da-Puta  (2  crosses  of 
Eclipse) 

Priam  (4  crosses  of  Eclipse) 
Dau.  of  Don  Juan — Moll  {Eclipse) 


280 


APPENDIX  O 


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rSir  Hercules  by  WhaIebone(Wa.\y— Penelope)— Peri  by  Wanderer — Thalestris 
_Birdcatcher       J      by  Alexander — Rival  by  Sir  Peter — Hornet  by  Drone 

(Ch. — 1833)    j  Guiccioli  by  Boli  Booty  (Chanticleer — lerne) — Flight  by  Irish  Escape — Young 
I.     Heroine  by  Bagot  (Herod) — Heroine  by  Hero — sister  to  Regulus 

("Economist  by  Whisker  (Waxy — Penelope) — Floranthe  by  Octavian — Caprice 
-Echidna  I     by  Anvil — Madcap  by  Eclipse — daughter  of  Blank — daughter  of  Blaze 

(B.— 1838 1     1  Miss  Pratt  by  Blackfolk— Gadabout    by  Orville— Minstrel    by  Sir   Peter — 
V.     Matron  by  Florizel — Maiden  by  Matchem,  &c. 

/"Sultan  by  Selim(  Buzzard — daughter  of  Alexander) — Bacchante  by  Williamson's 
-Glencoe  J     Ditto  (Sir  Peter) — sister  to  Calomel  by  Mercury — daughter  of  Herod. 

(Ch. — 1833)   I  Trampoline  by  Tramp — Web  by  Waxy — Penelope  by  Trumpator — Prunella 
(.    by  Highflyer — Promise  by  Snap — Julia  by  Blank,  &c. 

rMuley  by  Orville  (above) — Eleanor  by  Whisky — Young  Giantess  by  Dioraed — 
_Marpessa  J      Giantess  by  .Matchem — Molly  Long  Legs  by  Babraham,  &c. 

(B. — 1830)     1  Clare  by  Marmion  (Whisky — Young  Noisette) — Harpaiice(Gohanna) — Amazon 
I.     by  Driver — Fractious  by  Mercury — daughter  of  Woodpecker,  &c. 

/"Touchstone  by  Camel  (Whalebone  by  Waxy)— Banter  by  Master  Henry — 
J      Boadicea  by  Alexander  (Echpse) — Brunette  by  Amaranlhus,  &c. 
j  Vulture  by  Langar — Kite  by  Mustard — Olympia  by  Sir  Oliver  (Sir  Peter) — 
t    Scolilla  by  Anvil — Scota  by  Eclipse — Harmony  by  Herod — Rutilia,  &c. 

/■Rockingham  by  Humphrey  Clinker  (Comus— Clinkerina)— Medora  by  Swords- 


_OrIando 
(B.— 1841) 

Miss 


— Ratan 


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rp    .  ,      ,       J     man  (Buffer  by  Prizefighter) — daughter  of  Trumpaior— Peppermint,  &c. 
iwicKennam  1  ElectressbyElection(Gohanna— Chestnut  Skim)— daughter  of  Stamford— Miss 
H-n.— 1B3B)    (^    j^jy  j^y  Alfred- Manilla  by  Goldfinder— daughter  of  old  England 

/"Buzzard  by  Blacklock  (above)— Miss  Newton  by  Delpini — Tipple  Cyder  by 
I      King  Fergus  (Eclipse) — Sylvia  by  Young  Marske  (Marske) 
/rh        s     1  1  Daughter  of  Picton  (Smolensko— daughter  of  Dick  Andrews)— daughter  of 
(Ch.— 1841)    (^    Selim  (above)— dau.  of  Pipator — Queen  Mab  by  Eclipse— dau.  of  Old  Tartar 

/"Melbourne  by  Humphry  Clinker— daughter  of  Cervantes(Don  Quixote) — dau. 
._       ,  ,     J      of  Golumpus— daughter  of  Paynator — sister  to  Zodiac  by  St.  George,  &c. 

Daugtuerot      i  Lj^teth  by  Phantom  (Walton— Julia  by  Whisky)— Ehzabeth  by  Rainbow— 
(Br.     1844)     ^^     Belvoirina  by  Stamford— sisier  to  Silver  by  Mercury— daughter  of  Herod 

("Castrel  by  Buzzard  (Woodpecker — Misfortune  by  Dux) — dau.  of  Alexander 
_  I     — daughter  of  Highflyer— dau.  of  Alfred  (brother  to  Conductor)  by  Matchem 

"     m  _  R     )     1  ^^^^^^  ^y  Peruvian— Musidora  by  Meteor— Maid  of  all  Work  by  Highflyer— 
I    •     ^°^'ii      [_    sister  to  Tamdem  by  Syphon— daughter  of  Regulus— daughter  of  Snip 

/"Touchstone  by  Camel  (Whalebone  by  Wa.xy)— Banter  by  Master  Henry— 
Phryne  J      Boadicea  by -Mexander— Brunette  by  Amaranthus— Mayfly,  &c. 

(Br.— 1840)    1  Decoy  by  Filho-da-Puta  (Haphazard— Mrs.  Barnet  by  Waxy)— Finesse  by 
1.     Peruvian — Violante  by  John  Bull — sister  to  Skyscraper.  &c. 


-■3  I" 


ffl 


Muley 
-    Moloch 
(B.-1830) 


-Rebecca 
(B.-1831) 


-Sandbeck 
(B.— 1818) 


.Johanna 
Ch.-i8i3) 


Plenipo- 
-    tentiary 
(Ch.— 1831) 


Pawn  Jimior) 
"    (Br.— 1817 


/"MuleybyOrville— Eleanor  by  Whisky— Young  Gaintess  by  Matchem— Gaintess 
J      by  Matchem— Molly  Long  Legs  by  Babraham,  &c. 

I  Nancy  by  Dick  Andrews— Spitfire  by  Beningbro'— daughter  of  Young  Sir  Peter 
(.     -daughter  of  Engineer— dau.  of  Wilson's  A— dau.  ol  Hutton's  Spot,  &c. 

/"Lottery  by  Tramp  (above)— Mandane  by  Pot8os(  Eclipse) — Young  Camilla  by 
J      Woodpecker — Camilla  by  Treniham — daughter  of  The  Godolphin. 
"i  Daughter  of  Cervantes  (Don  Quixote— Evelina) — Anticipation  by  Beningbro' 
L    — Expectation  (sister  to  Telemachus)  by  Herod— daughter  of  Skim 

/"Catton  by  Golumpus— Lucy  Grey  by  Timothy— Lucy  by  Florizel— Frenzy  by 
J      Eclipse— daughter  of  Engineer— daughter  of  Blank— Lass  of  the  Mill  &c. 
j  Orvillina  (sister  to  Orville)  by  Beningbro'  (above)— Evelina   by  Highflyer — 
L     Termagant  by  Tantrum- Cantalrice  by  Sampson— daughter  of  Regulus 

/"Selim  by  Buzzard— daughter  of  Alexander — daughter  of  Highflyer— dau.  of 
J  Alfred— dau.  of  Engineer— Bay  Malton's  dam  by  Cade— Lass  of  the  Mill,  &c. 
1  Comical's  dam  by  Skyscraper— daughter  of  Dragon— Fidget's  dam  by  Matchem 
I,    — sister  to  S«eetbriar  by  Syphon — dau.  of  Shakespeare — dau.  of  Cade,  &c. 

/"Emilius  by  Orville— Emily  by  Stamford— dau.  of  Whisky— Grey  Dorimant  by 
J      Dorimant— Dizzy  by  Blank— Dizzy  by  Driver— dau.  of  Smiling  Tom,  &c. 
j  Harriet  by  Pericles— dau.  ot  Selim— Pipylina  by  Sir  Peter— Rally  by -Trum- 
l    pator— Fancy  by  Florizel— daughter  of  Spectator— sisier  to  Horatius,  &c 

/"Waxy  by  Pot8os — Maria  by  Herod  (above)— Lisette  by  Snap  (Snip) — Miss 
J     Windsor  by  The  Godolphin— sister  to  Volunteer  by  Young  Belgrade,  tie.' 
I  Pawn  (sister  to  Penelope)  by  Trumpator— Prunella  by  Highflyer— Promise  by 
I.    Snap — Julia  by  Blank — Spectator's  dam  by  Partner,  &c. 


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AND  O'KELLY 

-Voltaire,  1826         /Blacklock,  1814 

\  Phantom  mare,  1816 

-MarthaLynn,  1837  ("Mulatto,  1823 
i  Leda,  1824 

Irish  Birdcatcher,  f„.    .,        ,        „  « 
-    jQ,,  '/Sir  Hercules,  1826 

^•^  \Giuccioli,  1823 

_Nan  Darrell,  1844  /Inheritor,  1831 
|Nell,  1 83 1 

_Bay  Middleton,      rsultan,  1816 
1833  jCobweb,  1 82 1 

-Barbelle,  1836         fSandbeck,  1818 
1  Darioletta,  1822 

—Voltaire,  1826        /Blacklock,  1814 

1  Phantom  mare,  1816 

^Velocipede's  Dam,jjuinper,  1805 

~    1817  \  Sorcerer  mare,  18 10 

—Touchstone,  1831  jcamel,  1822 
(^Banter,  1826 

-Fair  Helen,  1843   / Pantaloon  1824 
(.Rebecca,  1831 

_The     Little     Un-j^^,       ^gio 
known,  J836       |Lacerta,  1816 

-Bay  Missy,  X842    {SK?' ^'^^ 


O   w 


"The  Baron,  1842 


("Irish  Birdcatcher,  1833 
-[Echidna,  1838 


_,      ,      ,         „       rGlencoe,  1831 
—Pocahontas,  1837  J  Marpessa,  1830 

,,  ,,  _         ("Humphry Clinker,  1831 

-Melbourne,  1834    jcervantes  mare,  1825 

fTouchstone,  1831 
-Mowerina,  1843       ^^Emma,  1824 


282 


APPENDIX    P 

WINNERS  OF  THE  DERBY  TRACING  TO 
ECLIPSE,  MATCHEM,  HEROD,  ETC. 


Owner 

Winner 

Sire 

Tracing  in  Male 
Line  to 

1780 

Sir  C.  Bunbury 

Diomed 

Florizel 

Herod 

1781 

Col.  O'Kelly 

Y.  Eclipse 

Eclipse 

Eclipse 

1782 

Ld.  Egremont 

Assassin 

Sweetbriar 

Squirt      (grand- 
sire  of  Eclipse 

1783 

Mr.  Parker 

Saltram 

Eclipse 

Eclipse 

1784 

Col.  O'Kelly 

Sergeant 

n 

}) 

1785 

Ld.  Clermont 

Aimwell 

Marc  Antony 

SpectatorandCrab 

1786 

Mr.  Panton 

Noble 

Highflyer 

Herod 

1787 

Lord  Derby 

Sir  Peter  Teazle 

)> 

}} 

1788 

Prince  of  Wales 

Sir  Thomas 

Pontac 

Marske    (sire   of 
Eclipse) 

1789 

D.  of  Bedford 

Skyscraper 

Highflyer 

Herod 

1790 

Ld.  Grosvenor 

Rhadamanthus 

Justice 

11 

I79I 

D.  of  Bedford 

Eager 

Florizel 

Herod 

1792 

Ld.  Grosvenor 

John  Bull 

Fortitude 

J) 

1793 

Sir  F.  Poole 

Waxy 

PotSos 

Eclipse 

1794 

Ld.  Grosvenor 

Daedalus 

Justice 

Herod 

1795 

Sir  F.  Standish 

Spread  Eagle 

Volunteer 

Eclipse 

1796 

»» 

Didelot 

Trumpator 

Matchem 

1797 

D.  of  Bedford 

colt  by 

Fidget 

Herod 

1798 

Mr.  Cookson 

Sir  Harry 

Sir  Peter 

Herod 

1799 

Sir  F.  Standish 

Archduke 

»> 

n 

1800 

Mr.  Wilson 

Champion 

PotSos 

Eclipse 

I80I 

Sir  C.  Bunbury 

Eleanor 

Whisky 

31 

1802 

D.  of  Grafton 

Tyrant 

Pot8os 

9) 

1803 

Sir  H.  Williamson 

Ditto 

Sir  Peter 

Herod 

1804 

1805 

Ld.  Egremont 
» 

Hannibal 
Cardinal  Beau- 
fort 

283 

Driver 
Gohanna 

Trentham  (by 

Sweepstakes) 
Eclipse 

ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


Owner 

Winner 

Sire 

Tracing  in  Male 
Line  to 

1806 

Ld.  Foley 

Paris 

Sir  Peter 

Herod 

1807 

Ld.  Egremont 

Election 

Gohanna 

Eclipse 

1808 

Sir  H.  Williamson 

Pan 

St.  George 

Herod 

1809 

D.  of  Grafton 

Pope 

Waxy 

Eclipse 

I8I0 

»i 

Whalebone 

fi 

I) 

I8II 

Sir  J.  Kelly 

Phantom 

Walton 

Herod 

I8I2 

Mr.  Ladbroke 

Octavius 

Orville 

Eclipse 

I8I3 

Sir  C.  Bunbury 

Smolensko 

Sorcerer 

Matchem 

I8I4 

Ld.  Stawell 

Blucher 

Waxy 

Eclipse 

I8I5 

D.  of  Grafton 

Whisker 

)) 

)i 

I8I6 

D.  of  York 

Prince  Leopold 

Hedley 

»» 

I8I7 

Mr.  Payne 

Azor 

Selim 

Herod 

I8I8 

Mr.  Thornhill 

Sam 

Scud 

Eclipse 

I8I9 

D.  of  Portland 

Tiresias 

Soothsayer 

Matcheni 

1820 

Mr.  Thornhill 

Sailor 

Scud 

Eclipse 

I82I 

Mr.  Hunter 

Gustavus 

Election 

11 

1822 

D.  of  York 

Moses 

Whalebone    or 
Seymour 

Herod 

1823 

Mr.  Udney 

Emilius 

Orville 

Eclipse 

1824 

Sir  J.  Shelley 

Cedric 

Phantom 

Herod 

1825 

Ld.  Jersey 

Middleton 

II 

1i 

1826 

Ld.  Egremont 

Lapdog 

Whalebone 

Eclipse 

1827 

Ld.  Jersey 

Mameluke 

Partisan 

Herod 

1828 

D.  of  Rutland 

Cadland 

Andrew 

Eclipse 

1829 

Mr.  Gratwicke 

Frederick 

Little  John 

)) 

1830 

Mr.  Chifney 

Priam 

Emilius 

J) 

1831 

Ld.  Lowther 

Spaniel 

Whalebone 

jj 

1832 

Mr.  Ridsdale 

St.  Giles 

Tramp 

)i 

1833 

Mr.  Sadler 

Dangerous 

)) 

» 

1834 

Mr.  Bateson 

Plenipotentiary 

Emilius 

it 

183s 

Mr.  Bowes 

Mundig 

Catton 

J) 

1836 

Ld.  Jersey 

Bay  Middleton 

Sultan 

Herod 

1837 

Ld.  Berners 

Phosphorus 

Lamplighter 

II 

1838 

Sir  G.  Heathcote 

Amato 

Velocipede 

Eclipse 

1839 

Mr.  VV.  Ridsdale 

Bloomsbury 

Mulatto 

» 

1840 

Mr.  Robertson 

Little  Wonder 

Muley 

91 

I84I 

Mr.  Rawlinson 

Coronation 

Sir  Hercules 

»» 

1842 

Col.  Anson 

Attila 

Colwick 

Herod 

1843 

Mr.  Bowes 

Cotherstone 

Touchstone 

Eclipse 

1844 

Gen.  Peel 

Orlando 

11 

t) 

1845 

Mr.  Gratwicke 

Merry  Monarch 

Slane 

jf 

1846 

Mr.  Gully 

Pyrrhus  the 
First 

Epirus 

Herod 

1847 

Mr.  Pedley 

Cossack 

Hetman  Platoflf 

Eclipse 

1848 

Ld.  Clifden 

Surplice 

Touchstone 

Eclipse 

1849 

Ld.  Eglinton 

The       Flying 
Dutchman 

Bay  Middleton 

Herod 

284 


APPENDIX  P 


Owner 

IVinner 

Sire 

Tracing  in  Male 
Line  to 

1850 

Ld.  Zetland 

Voltigeur 

Voltaire 

Eclipse 

1851 

Sir  J.  Hawley 

Teddington 

Orlando 

)> 

1852 

Mr.  Bowes 

Daniel 
O'Rourke 

Birdcatcher 

)» 

1853 

)» 

West  Australian 

Melbourne 

Matchem 

1854 

Mr.  Gull 

Andover 

Bay  Middleton 

Herod 

1855 

Mr.  Popham 

Wild  Dayrell 

Ion 

Herod 

1856 

Admiral  Harcourt 

Ellington 

The  Flying 
Dutchman 

)} 

1857 

Mr.  W.  I'Anson 

Blink  Bonny 

Melbourne 

Matchem 

1858 

Sir  J.  Hawley 

Beadsman 

Weatherbit 

Eclipse 

1859 

»i 

Musjid 

Newminster 

a 

i860 

Mr.  Merry 

Thormanby 

Melbourne  or 
Windhound 

Herod 

I86I 

Col.  Towneley 

Kettledrum 

Rataplan 

Eclipse 

1862 

Mr.  C.  Snewing 

Caractacus 

Kingston 

Herod 

1863 

Mr.  R.  C.  Naylor 

Macaroni 

Sweetmeat 

)) 

1864 

Mr.  W.  I'Anson 

Blair  Athol 

Stockwell 

Eclipse 

1865 

Count  de  Lagrange 

Gladiateur 

Monarque 

» 

1866 

Mr.  Sutton 

Lord  Lyon 

Stockwell 

)) 

1867 

Mr.  H.  Chaplin 

Hermit 

Newminster 

>j 

1868 

Sir  J.  Hawley 

Blue  Gown 

Beadsman 

}) 

1869 

Mr.  J.  Johnstone 

Pretender 

Adventurer 

)) 

1870 

Lord  Falmouth 

Kingcraft 

King  Tom 

)> 

I87I 

Baron  Rothschild 

Favonius 

Parmesan 

Herod 

1872 

Mr.  H.  Savile 

Cremorne 

Parmesan 

»• 

1873 

Mr.  Merry 

Doncaster 

Stockwell 

Eclipse 

1874 

Mr.  Cartwright 

George 
Frederick 

Marsyas 

)) 

187s 

Prince  Batthyany 

Galopin 

Vedette 

)i 

1876 

Mr.  A.  Baltazzi 

Kisber 

Buccaneer 

Herod 

1877 

Lord  Falmouth 

Silvio 

Blair  Athol 

Eclipse 

1878 

Mr.  Crawfurd 

Sefton 

Speculum 

» 

1879 

Mr.  Acton 

Sir  Bevys 

Favonius 

Herod 

1880 

D.  of  Westminster 

Bend  Or 

Doncaster 

Eclipse 

I88I 

Mr.  Lorillard 

Iroquois 

Leamington 

)j 

1882 

D.  of  Westminster 

Shotover 

Hermit 

)) 

1883 

Sir  F.  Johnstone 

St.  Blaise 

Hermit 

Eclipse 

1884 

fMr.  J.  Hammond 
tsir  J.  WiUoughby 

St.  Gatien 

Rotherhill     or 
The  Rover 

n 

Harvester 

Sterling 

>» 

1885 

Ld.  Hastings 

Melton 

Master  Kildare 

I) 

1886 

D.  of  Westminster 

Ormonde 

Bend  Or 

)j 

1887 

Mr.  Abington 

Merry  Hampton 

Hampton 

)» 

1888 

D.  of  Portland 

Ayrshire 

n 

Ji 

1889 

)>                   )» 

Donovan 

Galopin 

n 

1890 

Sir  J.  Miller 

Sainfoin 

Springfield 

n 

285 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


Owner 

Winner 

Sire 

Tracing  in  Male 
Line  to 

IS9I 

Sir  F.  Johnstone 

Common 

Isonomy 

Eclipse 

1892 

Ld.  Bradford 

Sir  Hugo 

Wisdom 

)» 

1893 

Col.  H.  McCalmont 

Isinglass 

Isonomy 

11 

IS94 

Ld.  Rosebery 

Ladas 

Hampton 

»» 

189s 

))         ij 

Sir  Visto 

Barcaldine 

Matchem 

1896 

H.R.H.    the  Prince 
of  Wales 

Persimmon 

St.  Simon 

Eclipse 

1897 

Mr.  J.  Gubbins 

Galtee  More 

Kendal 

)i 

I89S 

Mr.  J.  W.  Larnach 

Jeddah 

Janissary 

n 

1899 

D.  of  Westminster 

Flying  Fox 

Orme 

1) 

H.R.H.   the   Prince 

Diamond 

St.  Simon 

1900 

of  Wales 

Jubilee 

JJ 

1 90 1 

Mr.  W.  C.  Whitney 

Volodyovski 

Florizel  II. 

M 

1902 

Mr.  J.  Gubbins 

Ard  Patrick 

St.  Florian 

n 

i9°3 

Sir  J.  Miller 

Rock  Sand 

Sainfoin 

I* 

1904 

Mr.  Leopold  de 
Rothschild 

St.  Amant 

St.  Frusquin 

11 

1905 

Ld.  Rosebery 

Cicero 

Cyllene 

1} 

1906 

Major  Loder 

Spearmint 

Carbine 

)) 

286 


APPENDIX    Q 

RUNNERS  FOR  THE  DERBY,   1906 
TRACED  TO  ECLIPSE,  ETC. 


Owner 

Horse 

Sire 

Tracing  in 
Male  Line  to 

Major  Loder 

Spearmint  (i) 

Carbine 

Eclipse 

Mr.  J.  L.  Dugdale 

Picton        (2) 

Orvieto 

II 

D.  of  Westminster 

Troutbeck  (3) 

Ladas 

II 

Mr.  L.  de  Rothschild 

Radium      (4) 

Bend  Or 

II 

H.M.  the  King 

Nulli  Secundus 

St.  Simon 

II 

Mr.  J.  A.  de  Rothschild 

Beppo 

Marco 

Matchem 

Mr.  Hall  Walker 

Black  Arrow 

Count  Schomberg 

Eclipse 

Mr.  R.  Dalgleish 

Buckminster 

Isinglass 

» 

Mr.  Reid  Walker 

Dingwall 

Dinna  Forget 

Herod 

Sir  G.  Farrar 

Frustrator 

St.  Frusquin 

Eclipse 

Mr.  A.  James 

Gorges 

Ladas 

» 

Ld.  Howard  de  Walden 

His  Eminence 

Royal  Hampton 

»j 

Mr.  W.  B.  Purefoy 

Lally 

Amphion 

)> 

Mr.  E.  L.  Heinemann 

Malua 

Marco 

Matchem 

Mr.  Fairie 

Plum  Tree 

Persimmon 

Eclipse 

Mr.  J.  B.  Joel 

Prince  William 

Bill  of  Portland 

n 

Mr.  L  de  Rothschild 

Minos 

St.  Frusquin 

»» 

Mr.  W.  Bass 

Sancy 

Diamond  Jubilee 

J» 

Mr.  E.  A.  Wigan 

Sarcelle 

Gallinule 

n 

Mr.  R.  de  Monbel 

Storm 

Ermak 

)i 

Mr.  G.  Bird 

colt  by  Teufel — 
Slipaway 

Teufel 

Herod 

Col.  Kirkwood 

The  White  Knight 

Desmond 

Eclipse 

Lord  Derby 

Keystone  II.  (i) 

Persimmon 

II 

Mr.  W.  Bass 

Gold  Rioch  (2) 

Bend  Or 

19 

Miss  Clinton 

Snow  Glory  (3) 

Ayrshire 

II 

D.  of  Portland 

Quair             (4) 

Orme 

II 

Mr.  D.  W.  Clarke 

Sweet  Mary 

Cyllene 

II 

Mr.  F.  S.  Watt 

Provence 

287 

LeVar 

II 

ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

Owner      '                            Horse  Sire  Tracing  in 

Male  Line  to 

Mr.  Fairie                               Shower  Bath  Isinglass  Eclipse 

Mr.  J.  B.  Joel                         Waterflower  Watercress  ,, 

Mr.  S.  B.  Joel                        Portland  Lass  Bill  of  Portland  „ 

Lord  Derby                            Victorious  Florizel  II.  ,, 

Mr.  Reid  Walker                    Isleta  Isinglass  „ 

Sir  F.  Johnstone                   Shimose  Simontault  „ 


288 


APPENDIX    R 

A   CONTEMPORARY  ADVERTISEMENT    OF 
ECLIPSE  AT  THE  STUD 


ECLIPSE 

was  got  by  Mask  and  bred  by  his  late  Royal  Highness 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland  at  Cranbourn  Lodge  and  was 
sold  when  a  foal  for  ^^45  and  afterwards  proved  to 
be  the  best  horse  in  the  Kingdom  he  won  the  following 
Prizes  at  the  undermentioned  places  in  the  years  1769 
and  1770  (viz.) : 


1769 
At  Epsom 
He  won  50  guineas  against 

Mr.  Fortescue's  bay  Horse  Gower 
Mr.  Castle's  bay  Horse  Chance 
Mr.  Fenning's  chestnut  Horse  Tryal 
Mr.  Quick's  brown  Horse  Plume 

At  Ascot 
He  won  50  guineas  against 

Mr.  Fettyplace's  bay  Horse  Cream  de 
Barbie 

At  Winchester 
He  won  100  guineas  against 

Mr.  Turner's  bay  Horse  Slouch 
Duke  of  Grafton's  grey  Horse  Chigger 
Mr.  Gott's  bay  Horse  Juba 
Mr.  Bailey's  bay  Horse  Caliban 
He  also  walked  over  the  Course  for  50 
guineas 


At  Salisbury 

He  walked    over  the  Course    for    100 
guineas 

Also  won  30  guineas  (the  Bowl)  against 
Mr.  Fettyplace's  grey  Horse  Sulphur 
Mr.  Taylor's  bay  Horse  6  years  old 


At  Canterbury 

He   walked    over    the   Course   for    100 
guineas 

At  Lewes 

He  won  100  guineas  against 

Mr.  Stroud's  bay  Horse  Kingston 


At  Litchfield 

He  won  100  guineas  against 

Mr.  Freetier's  bay  Horse  Tardy 


289 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 


1770 

At  Newmarket 
He  won  400  guineas  against 
Mr.  Fenwick's  Diana 
Mr.  Stroud's  bay  Horse  Pensionerr 
Duke  of  Grafton's  grey  Horse  Chigger 
At  the  same  place  he  won   150  guineas 
against 
Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  Corsican 
Aso  at  the  same  place  walked  over  the 
Course  two  different  times  for  100 
guineas  each 

At  Nottingham 
He   walked    over    the    Course   for    100 
guineas 


At  York 
He   walked    over    the    Course   for    100 

guineas 
At  the  same  place  he  won  319  guineas 
against 
Mr.  Wentworth's  Tortoise 
Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  Bellario 

At  Lincoln 
He   walked    over    the   Course    for    100 
guineas 

At  Guildford 
He   walked    over   the    Course   for    100 
guineas 


He  won  on  the  whole  2149  guineas,  and  was  never  beat.  He  has  since  been  kept 
as  a  stallion,  no  horse  being  able  to  run  against  him — is  now  the  Property 
of  Col.  O' Kelly  of  Epsom  in  Surrey. 


[Copied  from  the  original  Broadsheet  in  the  possession  of  H.R.H.  Prince 
Christian  of  Schleswig-Holstein  at  Cumberland  Lodge.] 


290 


APPENDIX    S 

THE  FIGURE  SYSTEM 

I  HAVE  been  asked  to  add  my  opinion  on  the  theory  introduced 
by  Messrs.  Bruce  Lowe  and  William  Allison,  called  "  the  Figure 
System,"  to  which  allusion  has  been  made  here  and  there  in  previous 
pages  of  this  book.  In  my  "History  of  the  English  Turf" 
[Viriiie  &  Co.),  I  have  already  said  all  that  seemed  necessary  on 
the  subject,  and  I  can  summarise  here  what  was  stated  at  length  in 
that  book:  Vol.  i.  pp.  153-158.  Vol.  ii.  pp.  284,  433-439-  ^  o\.  iii. 
650-653. 

Sceptre's  pedigree  was  interesting  when  she  first  began  winning  races,  not 
only  because  her  sire  Persimmon  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Eclipse  through 
Galopin  and  Voltigcur,  but  also  because  St.  Simon's  son  had  been  mated  to  a 
daughter  of  Bend  Or,  the  grandson  of  Stockwcll.  But  the  school  which  believed 
in  Messrs.  Bruce  Lowe  and  William  Allison  preferred  to  point  out  that,  through 
Ornament,  Sceptre  went  back  to  Lily  Agnes  and  finally  to  a  "  taproot "  (or 
"  original  mare  ")  which  had  not  produced  a  classic  winner  in  the  female  line 
before  St.  Gaticn.  Indeed,  if  the  advice  of  this  school  had  been  followed,  the 
mating  which  produced  Sceptre,  Ormonde,  Barcaldine,  St.  Gatien,  and  Isonomy 
(to  name  no  more)  would  never  have  taken  place,  because  these  animals 
according  to  the  "Figure  System"  belong  to  "  Outside  Families."  According 
to  this  system,  breeding  should  be  limited  to  the  descendants  of  a  few  original 
mares,  and  even  if  we  grant  that  Ormonde,  Sciptre  and  others  were  "exceptions," 
this  principle  of  limitation  seems  to  me  wholly  contrary  to  every  experience  of 
breeding  and  biology. 

If  Messrs.  Lowe  and  Allison  are  correct,  their  explanation  to-day  of  the 
excellence  of  certain  families  must  hold  good  as  to  the  excellence  of  these  same 
families  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  ago.  But  who  can  prove  to  me  that  the  Duke 
of  Grafton,  Lord  Jersey,  or  Lord  Egremont  (to  quote  names  mentioned  by  Mr. 
Lowe)  thought  about  "  taproots,"  ever  considered  the  first  dam  without 
considering  the  others,  or  ever  paid  more  attention  to  female  descent  than  to 
lineage  in  tail-male.     The  only  thing  in  breeding  which  is  uniformly  supported 

291 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

by  the  numerous  and  intricate  facts  of  modern  pedigrees  is  the  predominance  of 
Eclipse  blood.  Pedigrees  are,  however,  so  complicated  nowadays  that  it  is 
possible  to  prove  almost  anything  you  please  out  of  them — to  your  own  satis- 
faction, at  any  rate.  Yet  in  such  a  pedigree  as  that  of  Minting,  why  are  we  to 
concentrate  all  the  virtues  of  his  high  descent  on  his  first  dam  ?  Or,  in  the 
much  simpler  pedigree  of  Whalebone,  why  are  we  to  neglect  the  Eclipse  descent 
of  Waxy,  and  the  Herod  and  Snap  blood  in  Penelope,  only  to  concentrate  our 
attention  on  one  particular  matron  who  (in  Whalebone' s  case)  is  to  be  picked 
out  of  ten  Royal  mares,  six  unknown  mares,  Tregonwell's  Natural  Barb  mare 
(4  strains),  Layton  Barb  mare  (4  strains).  Old  Vintner's  mare  (3  strains),  Byerly 
Turk  Bustler  mare,  Thwaites  Dun  mare.  Old  Woodcock,  Old  Pied  mare,  a 
Godolphin  mare  ?  Are  we  really  to  believe  that  the  Duke  of  Grafton  carefully 
considered  the  possibilities  of  all  these  mares,  and  picked  out  Tregonwell's 
Natural  Barb  mare,  because  her  blood  had  proved  successful  in  Goldfinder, 
Woodpecker,  Rhadamanthns,  Daedalus,  Waxy  Pope,  and  Scud  ?  Or  did  His  Grace 
just  send  Matchem's  great  grand-daughter  to  Eclipse's  grandson  ?  Did  not  these 
two  great  names  have  more  influence  on  him  than  anything  connected  with 
Tregonwell's  Natural  Barb  mare  in  the  hundred  years  since  her  death  ?  If  the 
Duke  was  already  aware  of  many  other  causes  operating  on  breeding,  consider 
how  much  more  complicated  those  causes  would  have  become  by  the  time  that 
such  other  descendants  of  hers  in  the  female  line  had  come  into  existence,  as 
Ladas,  Canterbury  Pilgrim,  or  Chelandry. 

Take  another  famous  modern  instance  ;  Persimmon.  He  can  be  traced  to 
thirty-two  original  mares,  the  Burton  Barb  mare  (twelve  strains),  Royal  Mares 
(seven),  Tregonwell's  Natural  Barb  Mare  (four  strains),  and  Byerly  Turk  Bustler 
Mare  (two  strains),  with  others.  Yet,  says  Mr.  Allison,  his  excellence  is  due  to 
none  of  these,  but  to  D'Arcy's  Blacklegged  Royal  Mare,  because,  though  he 
inherits  only  one  strain  of  her,  she  is  his  first  dam,  or  "  taproot."  On  Mr. 
Allison's  own  showing,  the  value  of  these  original  matrons  may  be  expressed  as 
the  Burton  Barb  Mare,  second  ;  and  Tregonwell's  Natural  Barb  Mare,  first ;  yet 
he  asks  us  to  believe  that  Persimmon  is  what  he  is  because  of  the  D'Arcy  Black- 
legged  Royal  Mare  whom  they  place  seventh  on  their  list.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
Mr.  Allison  asks  a  good  deal  more ;  for  he  asserts  that,  in  the  case  of  Persimmon 
one  strain  ot  a  mare  placed  seventh  on  his  list  is  better  than  twelve  strains  of  a 
mare  placed  second,  and  than  four  strains  of  a  mare  placed  first.  Nor  do  the 
unlikely  complications  stop  even  here ;  for  animals  so  differently  bred  as  West 
Australian,  Donovan,  and  Flying  Fox  can  also  be  traced  back  to  the  same  taproot 
as  Persimmon;  he  is  therefore  bound  to  admit  that  the  influence  of  the  magic 
Blacklegged  Mare  is  as  great  on  the  line  from  Blacklock  through  Voltigeur  to  St. 
Simon,  as  it  is  on  the  line  from  Comus  through  Humphry  Clinker  to  Melbourne; 
and  to  this  same  amazing  matron  he  must  ascribe  more  influence  in  the  breeding 
of  Perdita  II.  than  he  can  award  to  Touchstone,  Newminster,  Lord  Clijden,  or 
Hampton.  Surely  this  is  an  exaggerated  deference  to  sex,  and  a  most  unscientific 
disregard  for  the  lapse  of  time,  apart  from  other  considerations. 

Mr.  Allison's  first  few  matrons,  in  the  order  of  the  merit  he  assigns  to  them, 
have  been  already  mentioned.  It  is  curious  that  to  find  Eclipse's  handsomest 
and  best  son,  PotSos,  we  have  to  go  down  that  list,  past  the  20th,  past  the  30th, 
to  No.  38,  Thwaites's  Dun  Mare,  the  "  taproot  "  of  the  best  horse  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century — if  not  the  best,  at  any  rate  better  than  Goldjinder  or  Woodpecker 

292 


APPENDIX  S 

(traced  back  to  a  matron  3  7  places  higher,  first  on  the  list) ;  better  than  Pheno- 
nteiioit  (;^6  places  ahead);  than  Paymaster  &n6.  Justice  (35  places^;  than  IVildair, 
Sweet  I'Villiatn  or  Plunder  (34),  than  Trcnthain  or  Florizel  (33).  Now  if  we 
admit  Mr.  Allison's  contention  that  the  influence  of  the  original  mare,  the  first 
dam,  the  "  taproot,"  is  greater  than  anything  else,  there  will  certainly  be  a 
greater  chance  of  seeing  that  influence  when  her  blood  was  purer  than  it  could 
be  nowadays,  when  so  many  other  complicating  influences  have  been  at  work. 
It  is  clear,  in  fact,  that  if  the  excellence  of  a  modern  racer  can  be  traced  to  a 
"  taproot,"  the  excellence  of  a  horse  of  a  hundred  years  ago  could  be  much  more 
easily  so  traced.  If,  therefore,  we  are  to  ascribe  the  excellence  of  PotSos  to 
Thwaites's  Dun  Mare,  we  shall  legitimately  expect  many  other  good  sires  and 
winners  to  be  equally  descended  from  her.  But  there  is  one  winner  of  the 
Derby  (Sir  Thomas,  1788)  to  her  name,  and  one  only;  and  no  more  sires  at 
all.  Even  if  we  grant  Mr.  Allison  his  gallant  predisposition  for  the  influence  of 
mares,  it  is  going  rather  far  to  ascribe  to  a  far-off  "  taproot  "  the  excellence  of 
a  family  containing  such  matrons  as  Promise,  Prunella,  Penelope,  or  Queen 
Bertha;  to  subordinate  the  claims  of  Crucifix,  Hermione,  or  Martha  Lynn  to  those 
of  the  Burton  Barb  mare  ;  to  trace  the  quality  of  Stockwell  or  King  Tom  rather  to 
the  dam  of  the  two  True  Blues  than  to  Pocahontas.  It  will  be  seen,  in  fact 
that  we  are  asked  by  Mr.  Allison,  first  to  admit  the  vast  assumption  that  female 
influence  in  breeding  is  greater  than  male  influence,  and  secondly  to  admit  the 
still  vaguer  hypothesis  that  certain  taproots  in  the  early  eighteenth  century 
represent  a  more  valuable  female  strain  than  any  mare  whose  name  occurs  in 
subsequent  crosses  of  the  pedigree.  This  is  asking  too  much.  The  doctrine 
of  restriction  to  a  few  mares  (operating  in  conjunction  with  the  invariable  draw- 
backs of  "  fashionable  sires")  is  to  my  mind  the  final  objection  to  a  theory 
which  tries  to  reduce  Nature  to  Mathematics,  and  will  never  succeed  in 
doing  so. 

The  famous  order  of  merit  in  which  Messrs.  Lowe  and  Allison  first  produced 
their  list  of  "  taproot  "  mares  v^as  merely  the  accidental  result  of  the  mathematical 
calculations  they  selected  being  applied  in  a  certain  year.  That  result  would 
have  been  different  a  hundred  years  before.  It  is  constantly  being  altered  by 
every  racing  season  that  followed  its  publication.  By  1903,  the  "first"  family 
had  become  fourth,  the  "  sixteenth  "  had  gone  up  fifth,  the  "  third  "  had  dropped 
to  seventh,  and  so  on.  The  "  fourth  "  had  risen  to  the  first  because  Rock  Sand 
had  won  ;^22,633;  but  Mr.  Allison  traced  its  success  to  the  Layton  Barb  Mare. 
He  did  not,  however,  explain  how  the  matron  who  appeared  as  sixth  in  his  ori- 
ginal order  of  merit,  had  totally  disappeared  from  the  first  twenty  in  a  list  com- 
piled according  to  money  won  in  the  classical  races  of  1903  and  in  others  chosen 
by  himself.  On  the  other  hand  it  seems  curious  that  a  family  he  originally 
valued  as  sixteenth  should,  owing  to  Sceptre,  rise  to  be  fifth  ;  or  that  a  family  he 
originally  placed  fourteenth  should,  owing  to  Pretty  Polly,  prove  itself  sixth  in 
1903. 

If  we  consider  the  number  of  mares  in  the  General  Stud  Book,  it  seems  clear 
that  his  "  Number  Two,"  with  nearly  200  more  mares  to  represent  it,  will  by 
that  very  fact  of  numerical  superiority  obtain  an  immediate  explanation  of  its 
having  risen  two  places  higher  than  his  "Number  One"  family,  at  the  end  of 
the  year  just  quoted.  You  cannot  apply  Mathematics  to  Nature.  If  you 
appear  to  succeed  in  one  year,  you  break  down  the  next.     The  extraordinary 

293 


ECLIPSE  AND  O'KELLY 

collection  of  statistics  published  by  Mr.  Allison  in  1901  can  never  be  the 
breeder's  gospel  of  salvation  which  Mr.  Bruce  Lowe  thought  he  had  discovered. 
It  may  be  a  monumental  record  of  the  facts  of  racing  up  to  the  dawn  of  the 
twentieth  century,  and  as  such  it  will  always  retain  my  admiration  and  esteem. 
But  it  is  more  nearly  related  to  the  past  than  to  the  future.  It  is  more  useful 
as  a  record  of  certain  relationships  and  descents  than  as  a  guide  to  fresh  alliances. 

Those  who  have  read  this  history  of  Eclipse  with  understanding 
will  be  more  inclined  to  find  their  guide  for  the  future  in  the  fact 
that  the  only  stallions  in  Weatherby's  first  Stud  Book  now  repre- 
sented in  tail-male  on  the  English  Turf  (1906)  2.X&  Matchem,  Herod, 
and  Eclipse ;  that  Eclipse  enormously  predominates  over  the  first 
two  ;  and  that  in  Eclipse  s  strains  those  of  Birdcatcher,  Blacklock, 
and  Touchstone,  are  in  their  turn  considerably  predominant  over 
all  the  others.  These  results  are  not  mathematical  calculations. 
They  have  been  produced  by  the  slow  survival  of  the  fittest  in 
the  course  of  nature  during  the  last  hundred  and  fifty  years  of 
English  Racing. 

Since  Messrs.  Bruce  Lowe  and  William  Allison  produced  their 
theory,  Natural  Science  has  made  many  notable  advances.  In  the 
"  British  Medical  Journal"  for  December  22,  1906,  may  be  studied 
a  remarkable  paper  on  "  The  Physiology  and  Pathology  of  the 
Nucleus,"  which  of  course  I  can  only  summarise  in  the  briefest 
manner  here  ;  but  I  quote  it  as  a  complete  contradiction  of  the 
theory  that  the  dam  (or  for  that  matter  the  sire  either)  can  exercise 
any  preponderating  influence  upon  the  characteristic  excellence  or 
personality  of  her  foal.  The  properties  which  distinguish  the 
individuals  of  any  race  or  family  from  the  individual  of  any  other 
race  or  family  are  to  be  traced  back  to  the  constitution  of  a  single 
cell,  the  fertilised  ovum  from  which  that  individual  has  been 
developed ;  and  the  nuclear  composition  which  dominates  the 
morphology  of  the  individual  cell  dominates  likewise  the  properties 
of  the  individual.  Dr.  J.  George  Adami,  Professor  of  Pathology  at 
McGill  University,  Montreal,  has  shown  in  the  paper  to  which  I 
have  referred  that,  according  to  the  latest  investigations  of  modern 
science,  this  nuclear  matter  is  contributed,  to  an  equal  and 
corresponding  extent,  by  both  parents  ;  and  throughout  the 
development    and    re-division    of    the    fertilised    ovum    this    equal 

process  of  contribution  from  each  of  the  two  parents  is  continued. 

294 


APPENDIX  S 

Whatever  else  may  be  involved  in  this  discovery,  it  is  at  all  events 
clear,  for  our  present  purpose,  that  a  horsebreeder  who  depended 
solely  on  the  sire's  blood  would  be  as  unlikely  to  achieve  success  as 
one  who  rested  all  his  hopes  upon  the  potency  of  a  particular  dam's 
family.  A  blend  is  essential ;  but  Dr.  Adami  can  only  help  the 
breeder  so  far  as  to  assure  him  that  both  sire  and  dam  have  an 
equal  share  in  the  result. 


295 


INDEX  OF   HORSES 

[TVizs  Index  does  not  contain  any  reference  to  either  Preface  or  Appendicesi\ 


Achievement,  222 
Adolphus,  47 
Adonis,  113 
Adventurer,  24 
Agnes,  222 
Aim  well,  26,  225 
Alabaculia,  5,  6,  78 
Alderman,  184 
Alcides,  49 
Aleppo,  70 
Alexander,  107 
Amato,  154 
Amelia,  167 
Ambrosio,  17S 
Ancaster  Turk,  24,  220 
Andover,  23 
Antinous,  51,  55 
Antiochus,  112 
Anvil,  167,  171 
Arab,  50 
Arabian,  50 
Ard  Patrick,  28,  223 
Ariadne,  72 
Ascetic,  28,  29 
Ascetic  Silver,  2 
Ascham,  52 
Aspasia,  114 
Assassin,  26,  225 
Atlas,  96 
Atom,  107 
Augusta,  114,  116 
Ayrshire,  24,  222 


Babraham,  49,  51 

Bachelor's  Button,  226,  227 

Badger,  107 

Bajazet,  82 

Bamboo,  107 

Bandy,  62 

Barcaldine,  225 


Baronet,  167 

Bartlett's  Childers,  25,  70,  72 

Basilicas,  73 

Bay  Bolton,  70 

Bay  Malton,  46,  52,  57,  220 

Bay  Middleton,  23 

Bear,  71 

Beau  Clincher,  1 1 4 

Beaufremont,  46 

Bellario,  83 

Bellerophon,  72 

Bellina,  62 

Bendigo,  2,  26,  156 

Bend  Or,  18,  23,  66,  222,  230 

Beningborough,  223 

Beppo,  226 

Betty  O !  46 

Birdcatcher,  25,  222 

Blacklegs,  24,  25,  45 

Blacklock,  87,  220,  223,  224,  225 

Blair  Athol,  222 

Blaisdon  Conqueror,  20 

Blank,  50,  78 

Blink  Bonny,  27,  225 

Bloody-shouldered  Arabian,  17,  204 

Blue  Gown,  23 

Bobadil,  185 

Bolton  Mogul,  45 

Boniface,  113 

Bonny  Black,  204 

Bonny  Face,  114 

Boreas,  52 

Boudrow,  113 

Brilliant,  61,  71,  77,  82,  83 

Briseis,  72 

Britannic,  28 

Brutus,  107 

Bucephalus,  8,  82,  83 

Buffcoat,  50 

Bustler,  24,  45,  73 

Byerley  Turk,  3,  24,  26 


297 


INDEX  OF  HORSES 


Cade,  45,  49,  50 
Cadville,  223 
Caiman,  2 
Calash,  170 
Caliban,  77,  82 
Caller  Ou,  222 
Camarine,  133 
Cambuscan,  222 
Camel,  28,  221,  222 
Cantab,  75 
Carbine,  28,  29,  221 
Cardinal  Puff,  57 
Careless,  45,  96 
Caroline,  23,  221 
Cato,  49 
Ceres,  62 
Chance,  77 
Chanticleer,  184 
Charles  XII.,  154 
Chaunter,  114,  116 
Chigger,  62,  83 
Childwick,  85 
Chrysolite,  72 
Clanville,  82 
Clarinet,  1 14 
Clementina,  167 
Cleopatra,  166 
Claudius,  52 
Clio,  107 
Cloister,  227 
Clyde,  85 
Coelia,  72 
Colonel,  23,  118 
Common,  226 
Conductor,  114 
Coneyskins,  24,  25 
Confederate,  114 
Copenhagen,  29 
Coriander,  184,  223 
Cornet,  1 1 1,  114 
Corsican,  84 
Cossack,  23 
Cotherstone,  222 
Crab,  26,  49,  72 
Cracker,  49 
Crazy,  113 
Creampot,  50 
Creeper,  167 
Creeping  Polly,  223 


Creme  de  Barbade,  8 1 
Crimp,  50 
Crucifixion,  223 
Cullen  Arabian,  49 

Daedalus,  23,  62 

Dairymaid,  68 

Daniel  O'Rourke,  155 

Dapper,  49,  50,  57 

Dart,  75 

D'Arcy  White  Turk,  24,  45,  73 

D'Arcy  Yellow  Turk,  24,  45 

Darley  Arabian,  3,  9,  11,  12,  13,  17,  18, 

21,  23,  24,  25,  26,  70,  73 
Defence,  221,  222 
Desdemona,  72 
Deri  Sing,  166 
Devonshire  Steady,  46 
Diamond  Jubilee,  223,  226 
Diana,  83 
Didelot,  27,  225 
Dingwall,  226 
Diomed,  28,  113,  167 
Dion,  178 
Doncaster,  66,  222 
Donovan,  220,  223 
Don  Quixote,  166 
Dorimond,  49,  50 
Dormouse,  49,  50 
Dumpling,  46,49.  5°.  Si 
Dungannon,  87,  114,  128,  129,  136,  159, 

160,  167,  170 

Eclipse,  65-88,  131-158 

Eleanor,  185 

Elis,  131 

Emilius,  223 

Emma,  75,  220,  225 

Empress,  87 

Endymion,  94 

Escape,  159,  162, 167,  170,  183,  184,  185 

Evergreen,  178 

Exotic,  51 

Faith,  62 
Falcon,  72 
Fanny,  178 
Favourite,  51 
Feather,  78 
Fenwick  Barb,  24 
Fidget,  167,  178 


298 


INDEX  OF  HORSES 


Filho  da  Puta,  226 

Firetail,  226 

Flirtella,  167 

Flyfax,  51 

Flying  Childers,  12,  70,  71,  80,  226 

Flying  Dutchman,  23 

Flying  Fox,  28,  220,  222,  226,  230 

Forrester,  82 

Fortitude,  167 

Fox,  46 

Foxhunter,  46 

Gallem,  49 

Gallopade,  114 

Galopin,  87,  223,  230 

Galtee  More,  28,  226 

Gamester,  23 

Garrick,  30,  72,  73 

George  Frederick,  222 

Gift,  5 1 

Gimcrack,  47,  48,  51,  52,  61,  62,  136 

Ginger,  71 

Gladiateur,  104,  222,  226 

Gladiator,  222 

Glaucus,  113 

Godolphin  Arabian,  49,  70,  83,  132 

Godolphin  Barb,  3,  22,  24,  26,  73 

Goldfinder,  65,  83 

Goodwood,  61 

Governor,  178 

Gower,  77 

Grey  Diamond,  184 

Grey  Hautboy,  70 

Grey  Wilkes,  70 

Gulliver,  169 

Gunpowder,  87,  107,  114,  116,  117 

Hackler,  28 

Hambletonian,  87,  104,  178,  223 

Hampton,  221,  230 

Hannibal,  27,  225 

Haphazard,  178 

Hartley  Mare,  70 

Hautboy,  25,  65,  70,  73 

Havannah,  75 

Hazard,  46 

Hebe,  72 

Helmsby  Turk,  24,  73 

Hephestion,  72 

Hermione,  61 


Hermit,  28,  157,  221,  222 

Herod,  3,  4,  21,  23,  26,   27,  44,  46,  49, 

51.  55>  70.  "3.  114,  220,  224,  225 
Highflyer,  70,  104,  107,   132,   167,  220, 

223 
Hobgoblin,  45.  7° 
Hoby,  178 
Holocauste,  17 
Horatius,  50 
Horizon,  107 
Hussar,  45 

Hutton's  Bay  Barb,  24,  43 
Hutton's  Grey  Barb,  24,  45 
Hutton's  Royal  Colt,  45 
Hyperion  (afterwards  Garrick),  30,  72 

Irish  Birdcatcher,  222,  223 
Isinglass,  223,  226 
Isonomy,  223 
Ithuriel,  28,  29,  221 

Jeddah,  23 
Jenghis  Khan,  20 
Joe  Andrews,  107 
John  Bull,  62,  167 
Jolter,  49 
Juba,  82 
Jimo,  113 
Jupiter,  112,  159 

Keppel  Barb,  49,  50 

Keystone  II.,  223 

Kilwarlin,  2,  26,  136 

Kincsem,  222 

King  Fergus,  87,  107,  220,  223 

King  Heremon,  116,  117 

King  Herod,  51,  52 

Kingston,  82 

King  Tom,  1 9 

Knowsley,  179 

Kroonstad,  85,  136 

Ladas,  23,  222 
Lally,  154 
Lapdog,  23,  121 
Leeds,  50,  204 
Leviathan,  72 
Lily  Agnes,  220,  224,  225 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  1 1 3 
Lister  Turk,  24,  25 
Little  Red  Rover,  155 


299 


INDEX  OF  HORSES 


Little  Wonder,  154,  223 
Lofty,  46 
Longbow,  28,  221 
Lord  Clifden,  28,  221 
Lord  Lyon,  23,  222,  226 
Luna,  72 
Luster,  49 

Mab,  25 
Macaroni,  222 
Mademoiselle,  167 
Magpie,  61 

Maid  of  the  Mint,  28,  221 
Maid  of  the  Oaks,  62 
Malton,  62,  136 
Malua,  226 
Marco,  226 
Maria,  220 

Markham  Arabian,  9,  10,  11,  13,  21,  24 
Marske,  i,  24,  25,  26,  28,  30,  45,  48,  65, 
67.  70.  7i>   72,  73>  75.    79.  ^°3,  loS. 
lis,  218.  23s 
Merrry  Hampton,  222 
Masquerade,  72 
Matchem,   3,  4,  21,  23,  27,   44,  46,  87, 

220,  225,  226 
Matchless,  46,  82,  83 
Meliora,  46 
Melton,  2,  230 
Memnon,  23 

Mercury,  107,  iii,  113,  114 
Merryman,  45 
Meteor,  29,  87 
Middleton,  23 
Milksop,  49,  107 
Minting,  2,  23,  28,  221 
Mirza,  113 
Miss  Agnes,  222 

Miss  D'Arcy's  Pet  Mare,  24,  25,  45 
Miss  Harvey,  92 
Miss  Windsor,  49 
Mogul,  45.  70 
Monarque,  222 
Monk,  113 
Montagu,  24 
Montesquieu,  72 
Moorcock,  178 
Moro,  49 
Moses,  23 


Mowerina,  223,  224 
Muley  Moloch,  26 
Musjid,  222 
Musket,  28,  29,  221 

Narcissus,  72 

Navigator,  47 

Nestor,  75 

Newminster,  24,  28,  221,  222 

Nike,  62 

Nutwith,  26 

OCTAVIUS,  223 

Oglethorpe  Arabian,  24 

Old  Clubfoot  Mare,  25 

Old  Country  Wench,  25 

Old  Ebony,  22 

Old  Montague,  73 

Old  Montague  Mare,  73 

Old  Snap,  81,  84 

Old  Tartar,  112,  113 

Orlando,  222 

Orme,  25,  222 

Ormonde,  i,  2,  131,  152,  156,  157, 

224,  225,  226 
Orphan,  45 
Orville,  24,  223 
Osbech,  136 
Othello,  82,  223 
Oxford,  223 

Partisan,  232 

Partner,  26,  45,  46 

Partnership,  45 

Peeper,  45 

Pegasus,  167 

Penelope,  104,  220 

Pensioner,  83 

Perion,  155 

Persimmon,  20,  35,  131,  157,  223 

Petrarch,  28 

Petronel,  221 

Phantom,  45 

Pharaoh,  49,  50 

Phenomenon,  114 

Phosphorus,  159 

Pipator,  184 

Placida,  23 

Pledge,  220 

Plenipotentiary,  223 

300 


INDEX  OF  HORSES 


Ploughboy,  107 

Plume,  78 

Pocahontas,  221,  222 

Pope  Joan,  220 

Portia,  46 

PotSos,  28,  62,    73,87,   107,    113,    136, 

159,  220,  221,  223 
Pretender,  222 
Pretty  Polly,  227 
Priam,  133,  223 
Primrose,  114 
Prince  Charles,  178 
Prince  William,  20 
Prospero,  50 
Proserpine,  72 
Prunella,  220 
Pulleine's  Arabian,  24 
Pumpkin,  72,  226 
Purity,  72 
Pyrrhus,  59 
Pythos,  71 

Queen  Mae,  46,  112,  113 
Queen  of  Scots,  167 
Queen  of  Sheba,  166 

Ranger,  46 

Recovery,  113 

Regalia,  222 

Regulus,  24,  45,  46,  49,  50,  52,  67,  72, 

82,  83,  87 
Regulus  colt,  50 
Remus,  49 

Rhadamanthus,  23,  62 
Rib,  49 

Richmond,  178 
Robin,  178 
Rocket,  52 
Rockingham,  57 
Rock  Sand,  223,  226 
Roquebrune,  223 
Rose,  49 
Rosicrucian,  221 
Rouge  Rose,  66 
Rowton,  133 
Royal  Hampton,  25 
Ruler,  178 
Rydal,  222 
Rydal  Mount,  2  2  i 


Sabra,  136 
St.  Amant,  223 
St.  Blaise,  223 
St.  David,  167 
St.  Mirin,  2 
St.  Serf,  24,  222 
St.  Simon,  i,  2 
St.  Victor  Barb,  24 
Saltram,  24,  114,  166,  167 
Sampson,  4,  6,  57,  82,  131,  153,  155 
Saraband,  2 
Sarpadon,  1 1 3 
Scaramouch,  107,  113 
Sceptre,  223 
Schedoma,  159,  187 
Scota,  114,  116,  117 
Scrub,  107 
Selim,  51 
Serjeant,  114 
Serpent,  167 

Shakespeare,  70,  71,  72,  73 
Sharke,  72,  136 
Shock,  49,  7  I 
Shotover,  222 
Silvio,  23,  45 
Sir  Harry,  186,  188 
Sir  Hercules,  221,  222 
Sir  Joshua,  92 
Sir  Thomas,  26,  225 
Sir  Visto,  27,  225 
Skim,  50 

Skylark,  28,  184,  221 
Slipaway,  226 
Slouch,  82 
Smoker,  46 
Smolensko,  27,  225 
Snake,  25,  72 

Snap,  48,  50,  75,  83,  107,  113,  114 
Snip,  71 
Sober,  178 

Soldier,  26,  116,  117,  203 
Solon,  57 
Sorcerer,  159 
Spaniel,  23,  221 
Spearmint,  2,  16,  28,  220,  221 
Spectator,  26,  82,  113,  225 
Speedwell,  45 

Spiletta,  I,  24,  25,  28,  30,   65,  67,  68, 
70.  73.  76,  83,  105,  218 
301 


INDEX  OF  HORSES 


Spina  way,  1 1 8 

Sportsmistress,  230 

Spot,  45 

Springfield,  24 

Squirrel,  49,  75 

Squirt,  24,  25,  45,  70,  72,  83,  225 

Star,  49 

Stately,  45 

Steady,  45,  68,  75 

Sterling,  24,  223,  230 

Stockwell,  18,  20,  118,  221,  222,  223 

Stringer,  71 

Sulphur,  82 

Sultan,  24,  52 

Surplice,  232 

Sweepstakes,  27,  77 

Sweet  William,  62,  136 

Swiss,  84 

Sylvia,  49 

Syphon,  72 

Sysonby,  230 

Tadcaster,  66 

Tandem, 167 

Tardy,  82 

Tartar,  45,  46,  50,  51,  112 

Tartar  filly,  50 

Teddington,  222 

Tertius,  26 

Teufel,  226 

The  Bard,  2,  154,  155 

The  Baron,  222 

The  Emperor,  222 

Thunderbolt,  159 

Timothy,  28 

Tiny,  107 

Teresias,  23,  37,  220,  225 

Tom  Tinker,  51 

Tortoise,  83 

Touchstone,  28,   29,81,  145,  220,  221 

222 
Toxophilite,  28,  221 
Traveller,  167 
Trentham,  27,  59,  225 
Trenton,  28 
Trial,  78 

Trifle,  159,  167,  187 
Trophy,  52 


Troutbeck,  220,  221,  222 
Troy,  116 
True  Blue,  22 
Trumpeter,  220 

Vedette,  87,  223 

Venus,  113 

Vertumnus,  113,  128,  129,  159,  167 

Vintner  mare,  25 

Virago,  114 

Vivaldi,  159,  186 

Vixen,  45 

Volodyovski,  223 

Voltaire,  24,  87,  223 

Voltigeur,  87,  223 

Volunteer,  46,  iir,    113,  114,  128,  129, 

159.  170.  171 
Walnut,  178 
Wanton,  75 
Warble,  28,  221 
Warlock,  118 
Water,  159,  186 
Waxy,  28,  220,  221 
Waxy  Pope,  23,  220 
Weatherbit,  24 
Web,  1 04,  221 

West  Australian,  27,  118,  225,  226 
Whalebone,  23,  28,  104,  220,  221,  222 
Wheel  of  Fortune,  ii8 
Whipper-in,  46 
Whisker,  23,  104,  166,  221 
Whistle  Jacket,  70 
Whitelock,  87,  223 
Windermere,  232 
Woful,  104,  221 
Woodcock,  72 
Woodpecker,  57,  186 
Wormwood,  45 
Wrangler,  159,  186,  187 

Xanthus,  170 

Young  Cade,  51,  77,  107 
Young  Eclipse,  87,  113 
Young  Gimcrack,  107 
Young  Marske,  72 

Zemire,  178 

Zinfandel,  20,  131,  153,  223,  227 


302 


GENERAL    INDEX 


[This  index  does  not  contain  any  reference  to  either  Preface  or  Appendices.] 


Abingdon,  107 

Abingdon,  Lord,  72,    73,    79,   97,    112,    115, 

162,  220 
Aboriginal  stock,  19 
"  Acis  and  Galatea,"   124 
Adam,  Dr.,  141 
Adam,  Mr.,  184 
Addison,  42 
Africa,  13,  16 
Alba,  8 

Albemarle,  Lord,  40,  55,  56 
Aldridge,  Mr.,  183 
Aleppo,  II,  13,  15,  204 
Ale.xander,  8 

Alexander,  King  of  Scotland,  9 
Alexandria,  15 
Alfred,  9 

Allison,  William,  5,  22 
Almack's,  55,  193 
Amelia,  Princess,  56,  67 
America,  28,  no,  in 
American  War,  1 1 1 
"  Anazah,"  11,  12,  15,  22 
Ancaster,  Duke  of,  46,  50,  52,  72,  84 
"  Aneisa,"  12 
Annesley,  Mr.  A.,  162 
Annuity,  Chifney's,  183 
Anson,  34 

Arab,  8,  11,  12,  20,  21,  30,  86 
Arab  points,  early  traces  of,  8 
Arab,  points  of  the,  18 
Arabia,  14,  19 
Arabian,   10,   11,   13,   14,   15,   19,  21,  70,  71, 

72,  74 
Arabs,  14,  17,  18 
Archer,  7,  8 
Argos,  66 

Armytage,  Sir  George,  160,  161,  162 
Ascot,  81,  133,  226 
Ascot  Cup,  22 
Asia,  16 
Askrigg,  104 


Aston,  Sir  Willoughby,  162 

Athelstan,  9 

Athenae,  66 

Atkinson,  William,  127,  128 

Atlantic,  34,  in 

Atlas,  1 3 

Audley,  Lord,  197 

Australia,  17,  28,  29,  30,  66 

Ayrton,  Mr.,  162 

Babylon,  7 

Bagdad,  15 

Bailey,  Mr.,  82,  160,  161 

Baldock,  Mr.,  160,  161 

Ballymurchoe,  92 

Balmoral,  135 

Bamfylde,  Sir  C,  162 

Banks,  Peggy,  40 

Banks,  Sir  Joseph,  143 

Barb,  10,  13,  14,  20,  22,  24,  74 

Barbarcis,  1 1 

Barbs,  Professor  Ridgeway's  theory  of,  13 

Baringdon,  Lord,  162 

Barnet,  137 

Barton,  Mr.,  184 

Barry,  Hon.  J.  S.,  162 

Barrymore,  Lord,  57,  63,  160,  162,  184 

Barrymore,  Richard,  95 

Barton,  Mr.,  61,  184 

Basra,  15 

Beacon   Course,   48,   49,    50,    51,    52,  57,  71, 

82,  84,  227 
Beau  Astley,  55 
Beau  Brummell,  193 
Bedford,  40 

Bedford,  Duke  of,  113,  160,  161,  162,  184 
Bedford  House,  63 
Bedouins,  12 
Belfast,    Lord    (afterwards    Lord    Donegal), 

159,   161,   162,   163,   167,   168,   169,   170, 

171,   172,   177,   178,   179,   i8q,   181,   183, 

184,  187,  192,  193,  195 


303 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Bentinck,  Lord  George.  6i,  131 

Bentinck,  Lord  Edward,  162 

Berkshire  Downs,  9,  55,  68 

Berlin,  139 

Betting,  102-3 

Betts,  Samuel,  104 

Beyrout,  15 

Birch,  Thomas,  127 

Bird,  Thomas,  183 

Bishop,  Ned,  109 

Birthplace  of  Eclipse,  67-69 

Black,  Robert,  135 

Blacksmith's  bill,  203 

Black  Watch,  37 

Blake,  Mr.  C,  84 

Blake,  Mr.  Patrick,  84 

Blanc,  M.  Edmond,  106,  222 

Blends  of  blood,  26 

Blenheim,  35 

Blenheim,  Mr.,  143 

Blunt,  Wilfrid  Scawen,  5,  12,  13,  16,  18,  20 

Boadicea,  9 

Bolingbroke,  Lord,  49,  51,  84 

Bolton,  Duke  of,  162 

Bond,  Mr.  Edmund,  117,  132,  139,  140,  142 

Bond,  Edmund,  202,  203 

Bookmakers,  100 

Bootmaker's  bill,  204 

Bordeaux,  216 

Boringdon,  97 

Bosanquet,  Professor,  7 

Boscawen,  34 

Bott,  Mr.,  160,  161 

Bourkhardt,  Mr.,  210 

Bowes,  Hon.  Geo.,  113 

Bowes,  Mr.,  22 

Bowes,  Thomas,  161 

Bowyer,  Sir  G.,  211 

Boyes,  Mr.  W.  Osborn,  137 

Boyne,  54 

Bradshaw,  Mr.,  161 

Brand,  Mr.  Thomas,  43,  162 

Brandenburg  Anspach,   35 

Breeding,  104 

Breeding,  complication  of,  4 

Bridgewater,  Duke  of,  49,  50,  52 

Brighton,  96,  159,  167,  178,  201 

British  Museum,  45,  71,  86,  91,  144 

Britons,  9 

Broadhurst,  Mr.,  113,  160 

Brockbank,  Mr.,  :i9,  120 

Brooks's,  42,  58,  70 

Broughton,  41 

Browne,  Benjamin,  105 

Bruce-Lowe,  5,  22 

Brydges,  James  (Duke  of  Chandos),  123,  124, 

125 
Buckingham,  Duke  of,  91 
Buckingham,  Marquis  of,  198 
Bullock,  Thos.,  97,  113,  141,  160,  162 


Bunbury,  Lady,  62 
Bunbury,  T.  C,  97 
Bunbury,  Sir  Charles,  1,  47,  52,  61,  62,  83, 

84,  96,  97,  los,  113,  143,  144,  160,  162, 

18s 
Burdett,  Sir  F.,  216 
Burford,  Earl  of,  162 
Burke,  Edmund,  4,  33,  58,  60 
Burlton,  Mr.,  84,  162 
Burnett,  Mr.  J.  R.  F.,  74 
Burney,  Fanny,  33 
Bute,  55 
Buttercramb,  1 1 
Byrne,  R.,  105 
Byron,  Lord,  44 

Calais,  59,  216 

Calvert,  Mr.,  61 

Cambridge,  Duke  of,  204 

Campbell,  Captain,  67,  68 

Canada,  66,  iii 

Cannons,  99,   110,   112,   122,   123,   124,   126, 

128,  130,  134,   137,   138,   140,   144,   168, 

169,  170,  172,  17S,  177,  201 
Canonbury,  123 
Canterbury,  82,  167 
Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  127 
Carleton,  Sir  John,  42 
Carlton  House,  55,  114,  115,  184 
Carlisle,  Lord,  84,  100 
Carholme,  84 
Carthage,  15 
Caryatides,  55 
Castle,  Mr.,  yj,  loi 
Cavalry,  value  of,  15 
Cavendish,  Lord  George,  160 
Celbridge  Abbey,  71,  92,  191,  2l8 
Celestial  Beds,  55 
Celtic,  4 

Central  Arabia,  12,  14,  15 
Central  Asia,  14 
Chad  worth.  Lord,  44 
Chambers,  Mr.,  161 
Champreaux,  Monsieur,  109 
Chandos,  Duke  of,  112 
Chantilly,  85 

Chariots,  earliest  use  of,  7 
Charles  Edwjird,  Prince,  38 
Charles  I.,  10 

Charles  IL,  22,  41,  42,  136 
Charlton,  Colonel,  163 
Chartris,  97 
Chatsworth,  96 
Chauvel  {?),  Major,  200 
Chelsea,  140 
Chester  Cup,  45 
Chesterfield  House,  123 
Chesterfield,  Lord,  133,  134 
Chichester,  Hon.  G.  A.,  170 
Chichester,  J.  P.,  i6i 


304 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Chifney,  Sam,   159,   165,   l8i,  183.  184,  185, 

187,  188 
China,  30 
Chios,  66 

Chitticks,  Dr.,  117 
Christ,  8 

Church,  John  Barker,  160 
Church  rates,  206 
Church  service,  121 
Churchwarden's  duties,  206 
Cider  Cellars,  215 
Clare,  Lord,  96 
Clarendon,  Earl  of,  163 
Clarges  Street,  95 
Clark,  Henry,  141 
Clark,  Mr.  Bracy,  68,  80,  81,  131,  132,  139, 

140,  141,  142,  144,  145,  153 
Clay  Hill,  86,  89,  106,  107,  no,  118,  131,  160, 

201 ,  202 
Clermont,  Lord,  26,  62,  97,  98,  160,  163, 172, 

184 
Clift,  Mr.  William,  141 
Climate,  effects  of,  29,  30 
Clintz,  177 
Clive,  34 
Cloister,  227 

Club,  foundation  of  the  Jockey,  43 
Clydesdale,  9 
Coatesworth,  46 
Coleman,  Mr.,  139 
Coleraine,  Lord,  in 
College,  Royal  Veterinary,  138 
Colophon,  66 
Colour  in  horses,  17 
Colours,  O' Kelly's  racing,  114 
Colours,  racing,  40,  84,  162-3-4 
Commission,  military,  no 
Commons,  House  of,  58,  59 
Concannon,  Mr.,  159,  163,  167,  178,  179,  180, 

185,  186,  187,  210 
Conformation  of  Eclipse,  80,  146 
Conformation,  principles  of,  155 
Congreve,  John,  193 
ConoUy,  133 

Conolly,  Lady  Louisa,  218 
Conway,  General,  62 
Conway,  H.  S.,  39,  55 
Cook,  Mr.,  135 
Cookson,  Mr.  J.,  163 
Coopers,  Worshipful  Company  of,  56,  69 
Copenhagen,  137 
Corbett,  Edward,  161 
Cork,  191 
Corlett,  Mr.,  221 
Cornwall,  Mr.,  71 
Cosby,  Mr.,  134 
Cossacks,  53 
"  Count,  The,"  1 10 
County  Carlow,  92 
Coventry,  Hon.  T.  W.,  1&3 


Crabbet  Park,  5,  16,  18,  20  > 

Cradock,  Mr.  J.,  134 

Cradock,  Thomas,  134 

Cranbourn  Chase,  68 

Cranbourne  Lodge,  40,  68,  72 

Craven,  Lord,  163 

Cricket,  40,  41 

Croft,  Mr.,  71 

Crofts,  Mr.,  25 

Croke,  Mr.,  160,  161 

Cromwell,  lo,  38 

Crosby,  Mr.,  161 

Cross  and  Jostle,  107 

Cross,  Mr.,  88 

Crouch,  Mrs.,  124 

CuUoden,  31.  38,  39,  53,  135 

Cumberland,  Duke  of,  31,  33,  35,  38,  41,  43, 
44,  45.  46,  48,  50,  51,  52,  54,  55,  57,  61, 
62,  63,  67,  68,  69,  71,  73,  75,  100,  104, 
109,  135,  204 

Cumberland  Farm,  56,  65,  69 

Cumberland  Gate,  39 

Cumberland  Lodge,  40,  53,  54,  67,  68 

Cumberland  Road,  56 

Cunobelin,  9 

Curran,  Mr.,  198,  214 

Curwen,  Mr.,  25 

Cyprus,  II 

Cyrene,  1 5 


Damascus,  15 

Dane,  4 

Daniell,  Lady,  55 

d'Anterroches,  Comte,  37 

Daphnee,  8 

Darall,  Thos.,  M.P.,  124 

Darley,  Mr.,  11,13 

Darwin,  5 

Davers,  Sir  Ch.,  163 

Davis,  Wm.,  97,  109 

Dawson,  Daniel,  178 

Dawson,  P.,  97 

Dawson,  Matthew,  80,  137 

Dawson,  Mr.,  184 

Day,  John,  133 

Dease,  Sir  Gerald,  218 

Debrett,  4 

de  Brim,  Due,  n 

Defenneh,  8 

Delme,  Mr.  E.  H.,  163 

Denmark,  139 

Denning,  Mr.,  134 

Derby,  Earl  of,  97,  163 

Derby,  the,  17,  22,  23,  27,  28,  32,  43,  61, 
62,  98,  107,  III,  113,  164,  113,  154,  358, 
166,  167,  170,  176,  177,  178,  183,  185, 
186,  220,  221,  222 

Derby  winners,  blood  of,  26 

de  Robeck,  Baron,  161,  162 


305 


U 


GENERAL  INDEX 


de  Rothschild,  Leopold,  41 

D'Estrees,  Marshal,  53 

Dettingen,  33,  35,  53 

Devonshire,  Duke  of,  49,  50 

de  Walden,  Lord  Howard,  153 

Ditch  In,  85 

Dodsworth,  Mr.,  163 

Doggett,  41 

Doncaster,  47,  56,  57,  131 

Doncaster  Cup,  22,  178 

Donegal,  Lord,  iii 

Donegal,  Marquis  of,  96 

Donoughmore,  Lord,  191,  207 

Dorking,  69 

Dorset,  Duke  of,  100,  108 

Douglas,  Thos.,  97,  112 

Dover,  59 

Doyle,  Sir  Francis,  69 

Draper,  Sir  Wm.,  98 

Drayton,  68 

Druid,  The,  69,  81,  107,  108,  112 

Dublin,  96,  126,  135,  191,  216 

Ducros,  125 

Duke,  Sir  James,  28 

"  Duke,  the,"  35 

Duke  William  Augustus,  52 

Dundas,  Sir  Th.,  163 

Durand,  Mr.,  176 

Durand,  J.  H.,  161 

Durdans,  79,  137 

Durden,  90 

Dutton,  Mr.  Ralph,  185 

Dymark,  Champion,  160 

Dymoke,  162 

Dysart,  Lord,  92 


Eastern  blood,  early  traces  of,  9 

East  Ilsley,  68 

Eaton,  29,  222 

Ebbisham,  106 

Eccles,  67 

Eclipse  compared  with  Herod  and 

Matchem,  27 
Eclipse,  conformation  of,  146 
Eclipse,  flaws  in  pedigree  of,  25 
Eclipse's  gallop,  144 
Eclipse,  geometrical  proportions  of,    147- 

151 
Eclipse  hoof,  the,  133 
Eclipse's  hoofs,  1 34-36 
Eclipse  Road,  56,  69 
Eclipse's  skin,  137 
Eclipse's  skeleton,  138 
Eclipse's  tail,  136 

Edgeware,  122,  168,  172,  175,  176.  206 
Eden,  Sir  Robert,  72 
Edward  VII.,  35,  62,  67 
Edwards,  Sydenham,  140 
Eglinton,  Earl  of,  163 


Egremont,  Lord,  26,  62,  97,  109,  113,   159, 

163,  177 
Egypt,  7,  13 

Eighteenth-century  life,  32 
EUesmere,  Lord,  85,  136 
Elliott,  34,  100 
Elsenham,  79 
Elstree,  137 

Elton  (EUers),  George,  76 
England,  i,  2,  6,  11,  12,  13,  16,  20,  22,  30, 

31.  32.  33.  34.  35.  36,  39.  40,  41,  44,  59. 

60,  92,  93,  100,  105,  III,  122,  130 
England,  Dick,  101,  109 
English  Channel,  35 
Epsom,   75,   76,   TJ,   78,   80,   81,   86,   94,   96, 

106,   107,  109,   no,  118,  122,   131,  137, 

154,  176,  192,  201,  202 
Errall,  Mr.,  41 
Esmonde,  Sir  John,  92 
Esmonde,  Sir  Thomas  G.,  93,  127,  191 
Essex,  56,  69 
"  Esther,"  124 
Euphrates,  11,15 
Europe,  i,  14,  16,  85 
European,  12 
Euston,  61 
Ewart,  Professor  James  Cossar,  5 

Face  glands,  19 

Falmouth,  Lord,  118 

Farnham,  Lord,  84 

Featherstonhaugh,  Sir  Henry,  43 

Femur,  importance  of  a  long,  156 

Fen  wick,  Mr.,  46,  83,  86 

Fenwick,  Mr.  W.,  163 

Fenwick,  Sir  John,  22 

Fetherstonhaugh,  Sir  H.,  163 

Fettyplace,  Mr.,  81,  82 

Figure-system,  4,  22.     See  Appendix  S. 

Fisher,  Kitty,  100 

Fitzgerald,  Henrietta,  92 

Fitzherbert,  Mrs.,  52 

Fitzpatrick,  78 

Fitzwilliam,  Earl,  163 

Fielding,  33 

Flanders,  39 

Flaws  in  Eclipse's  pedigree,  25 

Fleet  Prison,  99 

Flesselle,  M.,  142 

Foley,  Lord,  58,  59,  97,  98 

Foley,  Mr.  Thos.,  84 

Foljambe,  Mr.,  57 

Fordham,  George,  181 

Fortescue,  Mr.,  yy 

Fontenoy,  31,  33,  36,  37,  38,  53,  91,  94 

Fouquet,  123 

Fox,  33,  40,  48,  55,   58,   59,  60,  61,  62,  84, 

96.  100 
Fox-Strangeways,  Lady  Susan,  61,  62 
Frampton,  Tregonwell,  89,  94 


306 


GENERAL  INDEX 


France,  28,  139,  143,  146 
Freeman's  Journal,  92,  208 
Freeth,  Mr.,  82 
Funeral  of  George  II.,  54 

Gainsborough,  34,  55,  178 

Gallop,  action  in,  157 

Gallop,  Eclipse's,  144 

Galloway,  Mr.,  160 

Gambling,  loi 

Gamgee,  Joseph,  142 

Gamgee,  Professor,  131,  139 

Gardom,  Mr.,  202 

Garrard,  114,  191,  203 

Gascoigne,  Mr.,  184 

Gascoigne,  Sir  Thomeis,  163 

Gascoyne,  Mr.,  163 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  121,  126 

Geometrical  proportions  of  Eclipse,    147- 

151 
George  I.,  35 

George  II.,  i,  33,  35,  40,  48,  53,  62,  lOO 
George  III.,  55,  60,  68,  199 
George  IV.,  35,  48,  104,  134,  136 
Germany,  28,  53,  139 
Ghassan,  15 
Gibbons,  Grinling,  124 
Gibraltar,  34 

Gilbey,  Sir  Walter,  5,  9,  29,  69,  74,  79 
Gilray,  101 
Glenwood,  92 
Godolphin,  Lord,  116 
Golden,  Mr.,  160 
Gelding,  Mr.,  161 
Goldsmith.  33 
Goldsmith's  bill,  205  * 

Gonzaga,  10 

Goodesson,  Mr.,  160,  161 
Goodricke,  Mr.  H.,  163 
Goodwood  Cup,  22 
Gott,  Mr.,  82 
Goulding,  Mr.  R.  W.,  204 
Gower,  Lord,  45,  49,  50,  51,  71 
Grafton,  Duke  of,  43,  50,  51,  61,  62,  75,  82, 

83,  84,  97,  100,  104,  108,  160,  161,  220 
Graham,  Dr.,  55,  113 
Graham,  John,  160 
Granby,  Lord,  49 
Grand  National,  227 
Grattan,  H.,  92,  202,  216,  217,  218 
Great  Britain,  97 
Great  horse,  the,  10 
Greenwich,  1 1 

Greville,  Hon.  Mr.,  51,  55,  61,  163 
Greyhound's  action,  1 56 
Grosvenor,  General,  133 
Grosvenor,  Lord,  48,  50,  51,  52,  62,  84,  97, 

98,  109,  160,  184 
Grosvenor,   Sir  Richard,  62 
Guadaloupe,  34 


Guildford,  84,  i8i 

Haig-Brown,  Mrs.,  125 

Haleb,  ii 

Half  Moon  Street,  201 

Hallett,  123,  124,  125,  128,  178 

Halsy,  J.  M.,  105 

Hamilton,  Duke  of,  43,  163 

Hamilton,  Mr.,  160,  175 

Hammer,  the,  104 

Hammond,  John,  104 

Hampdon,  Lord,  187 

Hampton  Court,  50,  135 

Handel,  112,  124 

Hanger,  George,  96,  iii,  114 

Hannibal,  15 

Hanover,  40,  S3,  67 

Hargreaves,  Mr.  Arthur,  67 

Harleydon  Course,  57 

Harpur,  171 

Harpur,  Sir  Harry,  72 

Harvey,  Mary  O' Kelly,  90,  92,   128 

Harvey,  Philip  Whitfield,  92,  191 

Harvey,  Whitfield,  92,  121,  192 

Hastenbeck,  53 

Hastings,  15 

Havannah,  55 

Havering-atte-Bower,  75 

Hawke,  34 

Hawkins,  44 

Hay,  Lord  Charles,  37 

Hayes,  55 

Hayes,  Captain  M.  H.,  5,  30,  147,  148,  152, 

153.  154.  155.  156 
Hayes,  Catherine,  94 
Hayes,  Charlotte,  89,  99,  109,  no,  118,  128, 

129 
Haymarket,  90 
Heath,  Mr.  Justice,  178 
Heathcote,  Sir  Gilbert,  161 
Heathcote,  Sir  R.,  186 
Height  of  thoroughbreds,  154 
Hendon,  122 
Henry  VIII.,  10,  191 
Henwood,  179 
Heron,  Sir  John,  74 
Heron,  Sir  Richard,  205 
Hermes,  170 
Herrick,  Wm.,  161 
Higgins,  Mr.  F.,  198 
HUl,  loi 

Hillmann,  Mr.  Aubrey,  137 
Hills,Maj.-Gen.  Sir  John,  5,  131,  147.  155.  157 
Hilsborough  House,  63 
Hilton,  John.  104 
Hippocrene,  133 
Hira,  15 

Hobhouse,  Mr.,  216 
Hockeral,  59 
Hogarth,  100 


307 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Holdernesse,  Lord,  40,  55 

Holland,  137 

Holly  Lodge,  67 

Holme,  Mr.  John,  46 

Holt,  Mr.,  161 

Home  Park,  30 

Homer,  66 

Honeywood,  Sir  J.,  163 

Hoof,  the  Eclipse,  133 

Hoofs  of  Eclipse,  134-36 

Horse  and  Hound,  223 

Horse,  authorities  on  the,  5 

Horse,  first  rider  of,  7 

Horse,  points  of  a,  147 

Horton,  Mrs.,  52,  100 

Houghton,  92 

House  of  Commons,  197,  198,  199 

Household  accounts,  195-6 

House-rent,  196 

Howard,  Bernard,  61 

Hudson,  Mr.  Richard,  69 

Huguenot,  36 

Hull,  Mr.,  160 

Humerus,  proportion  of  scapula  to,  157 

Humerus,  slope  of,  156 

Hunter,  John,  143 

Hurley,  Nathaniel,  204 

Hutchinson,  Mr.,  104 

Hutton,  Mr.  D'Arcy,  31,  45,  47 

Hutton,  Mr.  John,  71,  83 

Hyde,  171 

Hyde  Park,  39 

Hymen,  Temples  of,  55 

IcENi,  9 

Ilford,  137 

Ilsdey,  68 

India,  30 

Institut  de  France,  1 39  A 

Inverness,  38 

Iran,  30 

Ireland,  29,  30,  38,  71,  90,  93,  97,  125,' 136, 

216 
Irish  politics,  197 
Isle  of  Dogs,  69 
Islington,  123 

Jamaica,  134 
James  I.,  10,  13 

Janson  and  Harpur,  Messrs.,  119 
Jean,  Robert  Tilson,  106 
Jenison,  Mr.,  43 
Jennings,  Mr.,  163 
Jennings,  Alcibiades,  58,  78,  98 
Jersey,  Earl  of,  163 

Jockey  Club,  31,  40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  47,  48, 
57,  61,  65,  70,  84,  94,  97,  102,  103,  104, 

107,  108,  109,  110,  lis,  133.  134.  136, 

159,185.  192 
Jockey  Club,  Andrew  O'Kelly  in  the,  159 


Jockey  Club,  foundation  of  the,  42 
Johnson,  Dr.,  89,  94,  95,  96 
Johnson,  Samuel,  ^^ 
Jubilee,  18 
Julius  Caesar,  9 
Junius,  33 

Kate's  Gore,  68 

"  Keheilan,"  i,  11,  12,  13,  14,  16,  17,  18,  22 

Kennedy,  Dr.,  122,  193 

Kennedy,  Polly,  100 

Kensington,  Lord,  161 

Kent,  Duke  of,  204,  209 

Key,  Sir  John,  160 

Kildare,  94 

King's  Plate,  79 

Kingston,  Duke  of,  50,  84,  107,   113 

Kloster  Seven,  39,  53 

Knavesmire,  83 

Knollys,  Lord,  135 

Kohl,  1 1 

Konigsmarck,  Aurora,  36 

Koran,  15 

Lad,  Councillor,  160,  161 

Ladbroke,  Mr.,  161 

Ladbrook,  Mr.,  172 

Lade,  Lady,  95 

Lade,  M.,  97 

Lade,  Sir  John,  95,  96,  112,  113,  163 

Lake,  General,  159,  188,  190 

Lake,  Mr.  Warwick,i63,  165 

Lake,  Thomas,  124 

Lagos,  33 

Langdale,  Charles,  202 

Langdale,  Major,  90 

Langridge,  Mr.  Arthur,  140,  141,  142 

Lankester,  Professor  E.  Ray,  5,  20 

Language,  fashionable,  62 

Larmiers,  19 

Lascelles,  Lt.-Gen.,  200 

Lauderdale,  Earl  of,  163 

Lawrence,  Mr.  John,  7.2,  73,  80,  85,  101,  143 

Leech,  Mr.,  109 

Le  Clerc,  Miss,  163 

Leicester  House,  35 

Leicester,  Sir  J.  F.,  164 

Leicester  Square,  35 

Leigh,  Colonel,  184 

Leinster,  Duchess  of,  218 

Leinster,  Duke  of,  198 

Lennox,  Lady  Sarah,  48,  60,  218 

Leopold,  H.R.H.  Prince,  204 

Levant,  22 

Lewes,  137,  166,  167 

Libyan,  9 

Lichfield,  82 

Ligonier,  John,  36,  37,  38 

Lincoln  Heath,  65,  84 

Lincoln,  Lady,  40 


308 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Lindeneau,  Count,  l6i 

Lindsay,  Sir  David,  124 

Linnaean  Society,  139 

Linnaeus,  137 

Little  Mary,  53 

Lochee,  89,  90 

Locke,  Mr.,  120 

Loder,  Major,  28 

Loftie,  Mr.,  123,  124 

Loftus,  Lord,  198 

London,  58,  59,  143 

Londesborough,  Lord,  118 

Longchamps,  85 

Long  distance  racing,  85 

Lonsdale,  Earl  of,  164 

Loudoun,  Countess  of,  207 

Loughborough,  134 

Low  Countries,  40,  53 

Lowther,  26 

Lowther,  John,  i6o,  161 

Lowther,  Sir  James,  49,  50,  51,  52,  168,  174 

Lydekker,  Mr.,  5,  19 

Lyndon,  Barry,  89,  94 

Lyon,  Miss,  193 

Lyons,  138,  142,  143 

Macedon,  8 

MacMahon,  114 

MacMahon,  Rt.  Hon.  J.,  184 

Mahomet,  15 

Mahoney,  213 

Mainwaring,  Sir  H.,  164 

Man,  Isle  of,  96 

Mann,  Sir  Horace,  40 

Mantua,  10 

March,  Lord,  44,  46,  49,  50,  51,  57,  70 

Marco  Polo,  30 

Mares,  famous  brood,  23 

Mares,  list  of.  from   1788  to  1798,  160-1 

Mares,  pure-bred  Arab,  22 

Markham,  Mr.  John,  10 

Marlborough,  35,  36 

Marlay,  Dean,  92 

Marlay,   Thomas,   Chief   Justice   of   Ireland, 

217 
Marriage  Bill,  59,  60 
Marsh,  Lord,  49 
Marshal  Saxe,  31,  36,  37,  38,  40 
Marske,  45,  47,  71 
Marston,  Captain,  159,  188,  189 
Martin,  Mr.,  160 
Martindale,  Mr.,  87,  104 
Mason,  Captain,  200 
Maulbry,  Sir  J.,  202 
Mauretanian,  9 
Maynooth,  205 

Measurement,  difficulties  of,  145,  T52 
Measurements  of  Sampson  and  Zinfandel,  153 
Mecca,  1 5 
Mecklenburgh,  136 


Mediterranean,  9,  11,  13 

Medley's  Coffee  House,  ^^ 

Medley,  John,  loi 

Merewell,  170 

Merriott,  S..  78 

Meshed,  15 

Meyuell,  Mr.,  61,  75 

Michell,  Mr.,  191 

Mickleham,  69,  77,  79 

Middlesex,  105,  no,  in,  125,  137, 176 

"  Mile  a  minute,"  88 

Milsintown,  Lord,  164 

Militia,  the,  199 

Minden,  33 

Mitchell,  Mr.,  45 

Moira,  Lord,  191,  207,  209.  210 

Monmouth,  Duke  of,  42 

Montagu,  George,  54 

Monson,  Lord,  164 

Montgoraerie,  Lord,  164 

Montolieu,  Mr.,  164 

Montpellier,  138,  143 

Moorcroft,  Dr.,  161 

Moorcroft,  Mr.,  139,  142 

Moore,  Sir  John,  44,  46,  50,  51,  61 

Morewell,  170 

Morgan,  Councillor,  160 

Morland,  George,  204 

Mountford,  Lord,  41 

Muir,  J.  B.,  162 

Munday,  Jack,  10 

Rlunro,  Sir  Robert,  37 

Murray,  Lord  George,  38 

Museum,  British,  20 

Mutiny  Act,  5  3 

Mycenae,  7 

Najd,  3,11,12,13,14,15,18,19,30 

National  Biography,  Dictionary  of,  121.  143 

Nelson,  191,  193 

Netherby,  9 

New  Barnet,  69 

Newcastle,  Duke  of,   10,  13,  40,  53,  54 

Newmarket,  9.  17,  36,  41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  48, 
49,  51.  55.  57.  58,  59.  60,  61,  62,  63,  71, 
72,  79,  82,  83.  84,  85,  87,  95,  96,  98,  104, 
113,  115,  132,  133,  136,  166,  167,  170, 
177,  185,  186,  187 

Newton,  Sir  M.,  172 

New  York,  139 

Nile,  8 

Nile  Delta,  8,  1 5 

"  Nolkejumskoi,"  53 

Norfolk,  Duke  of,  160 

Norfolk  House,  63 

Norman,  4 

Northern  Syria,  11 

North,  Lord,  22,  33,  60 

Northumberland,  Duke  of,  50,  84,   143 

Northumberland  House,  63 


309 


GENERAL  INDEX 


North-west  Africa,  1 3 
Nottingham,  74,  83 
Nowlan,  Lieut.,  134,  135 
Numidian,  15 

Oakly,  Jack,  76,  77,  78,  131 

Oaks,  17,  22,  43.  62,  107,  113,  114,  136,  154, 

185,  220,  221 
Oatlands,  135 
Oats,  price  of,  177 
O'Brien,  Lady  Susan,  48 
O'Brien,  Nelly,  100 
Odiham,  75,  143 
Ogilvy,  Mr.,  85 
O'Kelly,  Colonel,  7,  44,  63,  64,  65,  71,  y^^  7^, 

80,  82.  88 
O'Kelly,  Dennis,  65,  69,  77,  83 
O'Kelly,  Dennis  (the  elder),  89-130 
O'Kelly  family,  92 
O'Kelly  I.,  89-130 
O'Kelly  n.,  159-190 
O'Kelly,  Mary,  no 
O' Kelly's  racing  colours,  114 
O' Kelly's  stud,  Ii6 
O' Kelly's  will,  127 
Old  Q.,  57,  58,  63,  70 
Olympic  Games,  8 
One  Thousand,  22 
Oppet,  7 

Orford,  Lord,  45,  49,  51,  61 
Orleans,  Duke  of,  109 
Ormond,  Duke  of,  39 
Orton,  45,   78,   83,    133 
Osborne,  John,  74 
Osnaburg,  Bishop  of,  190 
Ossory,  Lord,  61,  84 
Othello,  191 
Oxford,  Lord,  204 
Oxfordshire,  72 

Pace,  ancient  and  modern,  2, '226 

Pace  of  Arab  and  thoroughbred,  20 

Palmyra,  15 

Palmyrene,  12 

Pall  Mall,  40,  54,  84,  100 

Panton,  Mr.,  49,  51,  52,  71,  97 

Panton,  Mr.  Thomas.  164,  185 

Paris,  58,  59,  96,  III,  139,  143,  216 

Parker,  Mr.,  114,  193 

Parkhurst,  George,  181 

Parrot,  O'Kelly's,   120-123 

Parsons,  Nancy,  100 

Parthenon,  8 

Payne,  Tom,  55 

Pedigree,  flaws  in  Eclipse's,  25^ 

Pegasus,  133 

Pelham,  Mr.,  160 

Percival,  Mr.,  80 

Persia,  1 5 

Persian  Gulf,  15 


Peterborough,  32 

Petre,  Lord,  6i 

Pharsalus,  8 

Philip  II.,  8 

Phillips,  Mr.,  160,  169 

Philonicus,  8 

Piccadilly,  42,  57,  n8,  122,  126,  141,  183 

Pietremont,  5,  15 

Pigott,  Mr.,  84,  109 

Pindar,  15 

Pinner,  134 

Pitman,  R.  B.,  137 

Pitt,  Mrs.,  40 

Pitt,  William,  33,  40,  55 

Plaistow,  56,  69 

Plast,  91 

Plumer,  Lady,  125 

Plumer,  Rev.  C.  J.,  137 

Plumer,  Sir  Thos.,  137 

Politics  in  Ireland,  197 

Pomfret,  Lady,  204 

Pond,  Mr.  John,  41 

Poole,  Sir  Fernando,  164 

Pope,  Alexander,  191 

Pope,  Mrs.,  142 

Portland,  Duke  of,  44,  87,  102,  204,  224 

Portraore,  49 

Post-obit,  Lord  Belfast's,  169 

Powell,  William,  124 

Pratt,  Mr..  72,  104,  164 

Prejvalsky,  14 

Pre-orbital  depressions,  19 

Prince  of  Wales,  35,  40,  52,  55,  58,  96,  107, 
109,  114,  134,  135,  159,  160,  161,  162,  165, 
166,  167,  174,  181,  183,  192,  198 

Prince  of  Wales's  Stakes  (1785),  97 

Prince  Regent's  Lane,  69 

Princess  of  Wales,  40 

Proportions  of  Eclipse,  geometrical,    147 - 
151 

Prussia,  53 

Quebec.  34 

Queen  Anne,  35,  42,  48 

Queensberry,  Duke  of,  43,  46,  48,  57,  58,  161 

Queen  Victoria,  18,  118 

Quiberon  Bay,  33 

Quick,  Mr.,  78,   loi 

Quorn,  134 

Racing  Calendar,  42 
Racing  colours,  50,  162-3-4 
Racing  colours,  O'Kelly's,  114 
Racing,  "  The  Duke's,"  49 
Racing,  Yorkshire,  45 
Radcliffe,  Colonel.  164 
Radclifte,  Mr.  Delme,  164 
Ramillies,  35 
Ramsbottom,  Mr.,  161 
Ramsden,  Sir  W.,  23 


310 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Ranelagh,  Lord,  191,  195,  205 

Ras-el-Fedawi,  1 1 

Record  Office,  10 

Record  times,  228-9 

Redoubt  d'Eu,  37 

Red  Sea,  12,  15 

Regency,  40 

Regency  Bill,  53 

Relics  of  Eclipse,  65 

Restoration,  32 

Retaining  fee,  108 

Reynolds,  34,  61 

Rhodes,  66 

Richardson,  33 

Richardson,  Mr.,  16 1 

Richmond,  40,  45,  177 

Richmond,  Duke  of  60,  98,  164 

Richmond  Green,  41 

Ridgeway,  Professor  Wm.,  5,  13,  30 

Ridley,  Sir  M.  White,  164 

Roberts,  Lord,  18 

Rockingham,  Lord,  33,  48,  49,  50,  51,  52,  56, 

57,61,67.84,  153 
Rodney,  34 
Roman  empire,  15 
Rome,  9 
Romney,  34 
Roper,  Dr.,  134 
Roper,  Mrs.  E.  J.,  134 
Rose,  Rev.  Mr.,  160,  162 
Roseberry,  Lord,  79,  137,  225 
Rotten  Row,  loi 
Roum,  30 
Round  Course,  84 
Round  Court,  lor 

Rous,  Admiral,  61,  81,  87,  154,  155 
Routh,  Mr.,  83,  174 
Rowlandson,  93,  94,  lOl 
Royal  Academy,  34,  191 
Royal  racing,  35 
Royal  Veterinary  College,   138 
Russians,  53 
Rutter,  Mr.,  i6i 
Rutland,  Duke  of,  164 
Rycot,  72 

Sackville,  Viscount,  164 

Sahara,  14 

St.  Albans,  176 

St.  Albans,  Duke  of,  164 

St.  Angelo,  9 

Saint  Bel,  Vial  de,  5,  65,  81,  131,  132,  138, 

139,   140,   141,  142,  143,  145,  146,  147, 

152,  153,  154,  155.203 
St.  Bartholomew's,  123 
St.  James's,  42,  57,  59,  106 
St.  James's  Park,  35 
St.  Leger,  17,  22,  23,  26,  29,  33,  43,  57,  104, 

131,  136,  221 
St.  Leger,  the  first,  57 


St.  Paul,  Major,  159 

St.  Paul,  Major  Horace,  188 

Salamis,  66  ^,^ 

Sale  of  Eclipse,  74 

Sales,  famous,  118 

Salisbury,  75,  82 

Sandwich,  40,  41 

Sandwich,  Lord,  48 

Sanson,  5 

Sartorius,  67,  78,  81,  165,  220 

Saville,  Hon.  R.  L.,  164 

Savoy  Chapel,  144 

Saxe,  Marshal,  91,  94 

Saxon, 4 

Saxonbury,  137 

Scapula,  proportion  of  to  humerus,  157 

Schleswig-Holstein,  H.R.H.  Prince  Christian, 

54,  67,  68 
Schmidt,  Father,  124 
Schmidt,  Gerard,  124 
Schomberg  House,  48,   54,  67 
Schooling,  price  of,  212 
Scotland,  9 
Scott,  BiU,  134 

Sedan-chair,  adventure  of  the,  95 
Sedley,  Sir  C,  164 
Selinus,  7 
Selwyn,  100 
Severus  (Emperor),  9 
Shafto,  Mr.,  43,  45,  49,  50,  51.  75 
Shamiza,  12 
Shad  well,  106 
Shannon,  Lord,  198 
Shelbume,  Lady,  63 
Shelley,  Sir  John,  164 
Sherborne,  97 
Sheridan,  33,  58,  209 
Sherwood,  John,  106 
Shire,  9,  20 
Shire  horse,  20 
Shoulder,  slope  of,  1 56 
Sicily,  7 

Singleton,  John,  78 
Sire  of  Eclipse,  70-73 
Skeleton,  Eclipse's,  138 
Skin,  Eclipse's,  137 
Smith,  Captain,  160,  161 
Smith,  General,  164 
Smith,  John,  II2 
Smith,  Mr.  N.  Hanckey,  21 
Smollett,  33 
Smyrna,  66 
Society  racing,  61 
Sondes,  Lord,  164 
Sons  of  Eclipse,  220 
South  Africa,  1 1 
Sparkes,  Joseph,  183 
Specialisation  of  breeds,  14 
Speed,  comparative,  226 
Spencer,  Lord,  197,  198 


311 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Spilsbury,  James,  Ii8 

Sporting  Calendar,  42 

Stacie,  Jack,  109 

Stacpoole,  George,  215 

Stacpoole,  Miss  Charlotte,  214 

Stacpoole,  Richard,  215 

Stakes,  Prince  of  Wales's  (1785),  97 

Stamford,  Earl  of,  171,  172 

Stammar,  12 

Standish,  Sir  Frank,  159,  164,  177 

Stanmore,  125,  176,  203 

Stanmore  Parva,  122 

Stapleton,  Mr.,  46 

Star  and  Garter,  40 

Steele,  42 

Sterne,  33 

Stevens,  Mr.,  183 

Stifle-joint,  156 

Stirling,  Mr.,  161 

Stockbridge,  167 

Storace,  Signora,  124 

Stowe,  91 

Strad broke,  Earl  of,  8 1 

Strand,  loi,  144 

Strathmore,  Lord,  112 

Strathmore,  Earl  of,  112,  160,  161,  163 

Stride  of  Eclipse  and  Charles  XII.,  154 

Strode,  Mr.,  82 

Stroud,  Mr.,  83 

Strutt,  Colonel,  161 

Stubbs,  68,  71,  74,  75,  79,  81,  86,  125,  144, 

15s 
Stud  Book,  II,  24 
Stud,  Eclipse  at  the,  86 
Stud,  O'Kelly's,  n6 
Stud,  the  O' Kelly,  172-3-4,  188 
Stuttgart,  137 
Suffolk,  9 
Surrey,  75,  no 
Sussex,  68 

Sussex,  Duke  of,  191,  193,  204,  207,  208,  209 
Swinburn,  Mr.,  173 
Switzerland,  139 
Sykes,  Sir  M.  M.,  164 
Sykes,  Sir  Tatton,  28 
Syria,  14 
Syrian,  12,  15 

Tarleton,  Colonel,  164 

Tattersall,  Mr.,  65,  70,  71,  74,  86,  107,   :i6, 

118 
Tattersall's,  65,  104,  113,  136,  203 
Taylor,  Captain,  170 
Taylor,  Mr.,  82 
Teheran,  15,  30 
Tempest,  Sir  H.  V.,  164,  178 
Tetherington,  loi,  109 
Teutonic,  4 
Thackeray,  94,  99 
"  The  Duke,"  35 


Thessaly,  8 

Thoroughbred,  English,  3 

Thoroughbreds,  height  of,  154 

Thrale,  95 

Throckmorton,  Sir  William,  21S 

Thurlow,  33 

Thynne,  Tom,  36 

Ticonderoga,  34 

Tighe,  Sterne,  192 

Times,  record,  228-9 

Titchfield,  Lord,  200 

Tootell,  Mr.,  122,  137,  138 

Trafalgar  Square,  10 

Tregonwell,  Mr.,  22 

Tregonwell  Frampton,  32,  33 

Trentham,  Lord,  71 

"  Tristram  Shandy,"  33 

Turf  Annual,  78 

Turk,  10,  II,  13,  14,  22,  73 

TuUow,  93 

Turner,  Mr.,  82 

Turner,  Sir  Charles,  57,  164 

Turner,  Sir  G.  P.,  213 

Tweedie,  Maj.-Gen.,  5 

Two  Thousand,  22,  226 

Twycross,  109 

Tyburn  Gate,  39 

United  Kingdom,  66 
Upper  Grosvenor  Street,  55 

Vane,  Sir  Frederick,  161 
Vanhettem,  124 
Vans,  131 
Vauxhall,  98 
Vaux-le-Vicomte,  123 
Vavasour,  Sir  W.,  164 
Venison  from  Cannons,  20? 
Vere,  Lord,  164 
Vernon,  Admiral,  39 
Vernon,  Captain,  44 
Vernon,  Hon.  R.,  57 
Vernon,  Mr.  R.,  51,  71,  85 
Veterinary  College,  Royal,  138 
Villiers,  Hon.  George,  160 
Vincent,  Mr.  J.  E.,  68 
Voltaire,  38 

Waddington,  84 

Waldegrave,  Earl  of,  51 

Walking,  action  in,  157 

Wallace,  Sir  T.,  164 

Walpole,  Horace,  33,  35,  39,  41,  48,  53,  54, 

55.   59.  62,   100 
Walsh,  Mr.,  180 
Walton,  Mr.,  75 
Wantage,  68 
Warner,  Mr.,  96 
War  Office,  55 
Warren,  Mr.  J.  B.,  164 


313 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Warwick,  170 

Waterford,  Bishop  of,  92 

Waterloo,  29,  62,  92 

Watling  Street,  122 

Watridge,  John,  170 

Weatherby,  James,  42,  177 

Weatherby's,  104,  115,  116 

Webb,  Sir  John,  160,  164 

Wedgewood,  91 

Welbeck,  204 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  29,  35,  36,  40,  103 

Welsh  Harp,  1 22 

Wentworth,  Mr.,  57,  82,  83,  85 

Westminster  Abbey,  92 

Westminster,  Duke  of,  62,  66,  106,  112,  118, 

221 
West  Indies,  66,   134 
Weybridge,  135 
Whaley,  Buck,  89,  96,   126 
Whaley,  Colonel,  165 
Whaley,  Mr.  W.,  159,  165,  169,  170 
Whalley,  Captain,  126 
Whip,  the,  136 

Whitchurch,  122,  124.  130,  206 
White  Horse,  9 
White,  Mr.,  161 
White's,  42,  100 
Whiting,  John,  78 
Whyte,  74 
Wicklow,  92,  94 
Wildman,  Mr.,  46,  63,  64,  65,  69,  74,  75,  7^, 

TT,  78,  81,  82,  106 
Wilkes,  33 


Will,  O' Kelly's,  127 

Will  of  A.  D.  O'KeUy,  214 

Willesden,  105 

William  IV.,  133,  136 

WiUiam  the  Conqueror,  1 5 

William  III..  54 

WiUis's,  193 

Wilson,  Mr.,  173 

Wilton,  Lord,  43,  165 

Winchelsea,  178,  216 

Winchester,  77,  81,  167,  181 

Winchilsea,  Earl  of,  165 

Windsor,  39,  57,  68,  108 

Windsor  Castle,  56,  67 

Windsor  Park,  i,  31,  39,  t^i,  56.  67 

Winn,  Sir  Roland,  165 

Wolfe,  34 

Woodcock,  Mr.,  75 

Workington,  25 

Worley,  Wm.,  135,  136 

Wright,  Mr.,  161 

Wyatt,  139 

Wycombe,    159,   182 

Wyndham,  Chas.,  97 

Wyndham,  Hon.  C,  165 

Wynn,  Sir  W.  W.,  165 

York,  11,35,45,46,65,83,  113 
York,  Duke  of,  42,  96,  135,  136,  199 
Yorkshire,  9,  17,  45,  46,  48,  57,  71,  90,  92,  125 

177 
Yorkshire  racing,  45 
Youatt,  29 


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